A Foundation Called Family
by Kamari Turen
Summary: Sequel to APCH. With the events of their Hawaiian vacation behind them, the Gang look forward to the next chapter of their lives. But when tragedy strikes they will realize that growing up is never easy and having people to rely on is always a good thing. Rated M for language, violence, and sex.
1. Of Bliss and Tranquility

The sound of running water drew her from slumber, though it took her a moment to remember where she was. But then she glanced around the room and the memories clicked in her mind. She was at Wyatt's house again. Of course she was. She'd spent nearly every night there for the past two weeks. She wasn't sure why this surprised her, she'd been friends with Wyatt for years now and they had stayed over at each others houses before. But this was different and no matter how long she had known him, Jen Masterson had never imagined that she'd call Wyatt Williams her boyfriend. Truthfully she wasn't sure if that was actually what they were, but Wyatt seemed to think so, otherwise why would he ask her to come over every night? She could think of other reasons, though none of them were as pleasing as the thought that he just wanted to spend time with her. Besides, it wasn't like it mattered. Neither of them were in a relationship and they had grown closer during their time in Hawaii, especially after Wyatt's relationship with Marlowe had ended.

In the end Jen decided she was over-thinking things again and moved to get up, wincing at the stab of pain that shot through her ribs. She paused for a moment, shaking her head. It had been a little over two months since she had fallen while rock climbing and she was still recovering. She knew it would take time for her to be back to full health, but she was beginning to get annoyed with the pace of her recovery. But there was no sense in trying to rush her recovery as that would only lead to more problems. Besides, she had made significant progress and that was something to be grateful for. Her broken arm was completely healed and her legs were pretty much healed as well. Even the damage to her spine and pelvis were more or less healed, but she still wore a soft brace on her back, as well as braces on both legs. They were cumbersome, but at least she wasn't confined to a wheelchair anymore. And yet, despite this, she still felt pain from time to time and that was the most annoying part. She knew the braces would come off eventually, but the pain would likely linger for the rest of her life and it was this that annoyed her as the pain made it difficult for her to do the things she loved, like playing sports or going for walks or being active in general.

She felt tears welling in her eyes as she thought about this and quickly forced them back, not wanting to alarm Wyatt. She glanced around his bedroom again and smiled. Even if she wasn't able to play sports like she had before, at least she had Wyatt to lean on. He had become her foundation and she knew she had become his. It made her feel warm inside to know that no matter what happened she had people she could rely on, because it wasn't just Wyatt who was there for her. Nikki, Jonesy, Jude, and Caitlin were there for her as well and she knew they would never abandon her.

It was then that she noticed the water had stopped and she heard footsteps approaching. She turned to see Wyatt enter the room, a towel wrapped around his waist and a smile on his face. "Good morning, beautiful." he said, nodding at her.

"Good morning yourself." she replied, smiling. "How was your shower?"

"Like any other shower I've ever had." Wyatt replied. "It would have been better if you'd been with me, but I didn't want to wake you."

Jen smiled again, appreciating his honesty. "I would have gotten up, you know." she said.

"I know, but you looked so peaceful lying there and I...I guess I just didn't want to disturb you is all." Wyatt said, dropping his towel.

Jen felt herself flush at the sight of his naked body, but she quickly pushed her embarrassment aside and smiled again, liking the poetical way in which he described her sleeping. That was one of Wyatt's gifts, the ability to make anything sound poetical simply by speaking. It was part of what made him such a great musician and Jen found that she appreciated it more now than she ever had before. She had always liked his musical talents, but she found them to be even more astounding now that she was in a relationship with him.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Wyatt asked, his voice bringing her out of her reverie.

She turned to face him again, finding him partially clothed. "I'm not sure." she answered. "I hadn't given it much thought yet."

"Well, we could just stay here." he suggested. "I could make you breakfast and then we could just watch movies or something."

"That sounds great actually." Jen said. It was more than she could ever have asked for, but she knew Wyatt would do anything for her, whether she asked or not. And she found herself wishing this would last forever, this moment of bliss and tranquility.

"Alright, sounds like a plan." Wyatt said, pulling on a T-shirt as he spoke. With that, he pulled Jen to her feet and led her to the kitchen of his small apartment, gently setting her at the small dining table with a smile. She was still dressed in the sweatpants and T-shirt she'd worn to bed the previous night, but Wyatt didn't seem to mind.

After making sure she was comfortable he turned back to the kitchen where he set about preparing a virtual breakfast feast, with eggs, bacon, toast, oatmeal, fruit, and orange juice, covering all the food groups in one masterful stroke. Before Jen even had time to react he was setting a plate of food before her, leaving her in a state of shocked amazement.

"Wow Wyatt." she said, once she'd found her voice again. " That was amazing. When did you learn to cook like that?"

"A while ago." he answered casually as he took his seat across from her. "Some of it comes from my time working at Burger McFlipster's. A fast food restaurant really helps you learn how to cook faster, you know?"

"I guess so." Jen said, still impressed. She had never worked at a restaurant before, but she had worked at the Lemon and she supposed the approach was similar. Regardless, Wyatt's cooking was outstanding and she found herself wanting more, though she felt awkward asking.

"If you want more when you're done, just let me know." Wyatt said then, as though he'd been reading her mind.

Jen flushed again and nodded, taking a sip of juice to keep herself from laughing. Wyatt glanced at her, his expression curious, but chose to say nothing. It was still sort of weird for him to, the fact that they were dating and he couldn't blame Jen if certain situations or comments made her a little embarrassed. There were still parts of this he was unsure about as well, but one thing he did know was that Jen was there for him, no matter what happened or where this went, she was there for him. And he was grateful for that as he still hadn't fully recovered from his breakup with Marlowe. He glanced at Jen then and smiled, and though she smiled back, they would finish their breakfast in silence.

Once they were done eating Wyatt cleared the table and cleaned up the kitchen before helping Jen to the living room, where he gently lowered her into the more comfortable of the two armchairs he had. He then took his seat on the small couch and turned on the TV in an attempt to break the awkward tension in the room.

"You don't have to do that for me, you know." Jen said then, catching him off guard.

"Do what?" he asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Help around like I'm a helpless old woman." Jen answered. "You don't have to do that. I am perfectly capable of moving around on my own, despite the braces."

"I know I don't have to do it, but I want to." Wyatt said. "You're my girlfriend now and I feel like I should be there for you."

"That's nice Wyatt." Jen said. "And I do appreciate your help, but really it's not necessary, at least not all the time. And as far as the girlfriend thing, are we sure that's what this is? I mean, it's only been a few weeks since you and Marlowe ended things and I just want to make sure we're on the same page before we take this any further."

"I understand." Wyatt said, muting the TV as he spoke. "But let's be realistic Jen. We're a couple, there's no denying it. You've been spending pretty much every night here for the last two weeks and it's obvious we have feelings for each other. So let's not beat around the bush and just admit the truth. We're a couple now and we have to accept it."

"Are you sure?" Jen asked. "Are you completely certain this is what you want?"

"Yes." Wyatt answered. "This is what I want. You are what I want. I think you always have been, I just couldn't see it until now."

"Okay, if you're sure, then I am too." Jen said, moving to sit next to him on the couch. "I want you too Wyatt Williams."

With that, she slid her hands beneath his shirt, her fingers caressing the curves of his abs, making him shiver. He pulled her close, his eyes full of longing and then their lips touched, gently at first and then again with a fierce passion that neither of them had experienced in a long time. Jen felt herself surrender to the moment of bliss, but before they could progress any further there was a knock at the door which made them pull apart.

"Ah, fuck me." Wyatt muttered, rolling his eyes as he stood. He glanced at Jen, who nodded towards the door, indicating that he should open it. He nodded and made his way over to the door, muttering to himself the entire time.

"Who the fuck is it?" he asked, once he reached the door, his tone irritated.

"It's Jonesy." a voice said from the other side of the door.

Surprised, Wyatt opened the door to find his friends Jonesy Garcia and Nikki Wong waiting for him. "Uh, hey guys." he said. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good." Jonesy replied, his tone stiff. "What's your problem anyway?"

"Well, I'm kind of busy at the moment." Wyatt answered.

"Busy doing what, beating off?" Jonesy asked, his tone incredulous.

"No, I wasn't beating off." Wyatt answered, his tone irritated. "I was-"

His sentence was cut off by the sound of Jen's voice saying, "Invite them in Wyatt. We can continue later."

Jonesy's eyes went wide and Nikki suppressed a laugh. "Were you and Jen making out?" Jonesy asked, staring at Wyatt in shock.

"Yes, we were." Wyatt answered, standing aside so they could enter.

"Way to go dude." Jonesy said, grinning at Wyatt.

"Yeah, don't congratulate me just yet." Wyatt muttered. "We didn't get very far on account of you interrupting us, you ass."

"Sorry, we didn't know Jen would be here." Nikki said, her tone apologetic. "If we had, we wouldn't have come."

"It's okay Nik." Jen said. "Like I said, Wyatt and I can always start again later. That said, why are you two here anyway?"

"We just thought we'd stop by to see how Wyatt was doing." Nikki answered. "Why are you here, aside from the reasons we've already discussed."

"I've been staying here for the past couple of weeks." Jen answered.

"Oh really?" Jonesy said. "When did this start?"

"When we got back from Hawaii, you idiot." Jen said. "You were there, remember?"

"Oh yeah, that's right." Jonesy said, the memory returning to him then.

"Anyway, we just wanted to make sure Wyatt was doing okay, which he obviously is, so we'll be on our way." said Nikki. "Talk to you guys later, okay?"

"Yeah, we'll meet you at the mall later." Wyatt said. "Thanks for stopping by."

"No problem dude." said Jonesy. "See you later." With that, he and Nikki left, leaving Wyatt and Jen to pick up where they'd left off.

As soon as Jonesy and Nikki were gone, Wyatt and Jen headed for the bedroom, all other things forgotten. They threw themselves onto the bed with a passion unlike any either of them had ever known before and before they could stop to think twice they were fully engaged in the most heated, passionate sex either of them had ever had. And as they entwined Jen felt her spirits soar, all of her worries and pains forgotten, the world melting away into a blur of wonderful color as she and Wyatt surrendered to this moment of bliss and tranquility.

**A/N: Well folks, here it is, the first chapter of the long awaited sequel to A Place Called Home. I know it took me awhile to get this up, but I had other ideas I was working on and I needed time to decide what I wanted to do with this story. As you can tell, it picks up pretty quickly after the spot where APCH ended. Jen and Wyatt are now a couple and things appear to be going smoothly for everyone. But, not everything is what it seems (which you should already know if you've read any of my other fics). Oh, and I don't own 6Teen. It is the property of Teletoon, Inc.  
**


	2. The Beginnings of Something New

Later that day Jen and Wyatt met the others at their old hangout spot at the mall. It was strange being back here, but there was no other place in the world in which the six of them felt this comfortable. The memories of hanging out at this spot were endless and Jen was sure there would be more in the years to come. She was still amazed no one else had claimed this table in the time she and the others had been away and she still spent time trying to figure out why that was the case. Jonesy's theory on the reason why no one had claimed this table was that their legend was too great and the new generation of kids hanging out at the mall were intimidated by that. Nikki said Jonesy's theory was stupid, but Jonesy swore by it and would not change his mind on the subject, no matter what the others said. For her part, Jen was a little skeptical of Jonesy's theory, and Caitlin and Wyatt seemed to be as well, though Jude seemed to agree with Jonesy, which wasn't really all that surprising. Ultimately, Jen supposed the reason wasn't really all that important, but there was still a part of her that wanted to know. However, she never did seem to get the chance to figure it out, as the others would always change the subject whenever she brought it up. At that particular moment however, the conversation was focused on another topic entirely, one that made Jen more than a little uncomfortable.

"So you and Wyatt were really making out?" Caitlin asked, staring at Jen with a mixture of fascination and awe.

"Yes, we were." Jen answered, doing her best not to explode on them.

"Dude, way to go." Jude said, slugging Wyatt in the shoulder. Wyatt just grinned, until a look from Jen made him stop.

"I can't believe you told them." Jen said, glaring at Jonesy.

"Oh come on, why are you blaming me?" Jonesy asked, his tone incredulous.

"Because it was you who told them." Nikki muttered. "Though it really isn't a big deal. Jen and Wyatt have been friends for years, it makes sense that this would happen."

"I'm not so sure about that." Jonesy said. "I mean, okay, they have known each other for a really fucking long time, but neither of them had shown the slightest romantic interest in each other until after Wyatt had broken up with Marlowe."

"What's the point you're trying to make Jonesy?" Wyatt asked. "Are you saying it's illogical for Jen and I to be together?"

"No, I'm just saying that it wasn't a forgone conclusion that you'd end up together." Jonesy answered. "No one knows exactly who they're gonna spend their life with until it happens."

"You did." Caitlin pointed out. "You knew that you and Nikki were going to be together from as far back as I can remember."

"She's got a point bro." said Jude. "You were hung up on Nikki for pretty much all of high school and well, that did kind of work out for you, didn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess it did." Jonesy admitted. "Okay, I take it back. People can know who their going to spend their lives with before it actually happens. But I still maintain my position on Wyatt and Jen. None of us knew this was coming until it was happening."

"I'll agree with that." said Jen, catching them all off guard. "I mean, when you think about it, there really was no spark between Wyatt and I before and I never imagined there would be one, until it happened. So, in a way, Jonesy is right."

"What's your take on that Wyatt?" Nikki asked, glancing at Wyatt.

"I think it's accurate." Wyatt answered. "Think about it. I spent time with Marlowe and Serena, and Jen was with several other guys, so why would we have thought at that time that there was any reason for us to be romantically involved with or attracted to one another? But things change and now we are and that should be enough."

"And I, for one, think it is." said Starr, joining the conversation for the first time. "I think it's beautiful that Jen and Wyatt discovered their true feelings for each other. No one can say what direction love will take, but I think this is the right path for the two of you to follow. It's the beginnings of something new and I think it's great."

"Thank you Starr." Jen said, smiling. "That was beautiful and I really appreciated it."

Starr smiled, though it was Jude who spoke next. "That's my Starr." he mused, gazing at her affectionately. "She's always got the best advise, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she really does." Jen agreed. "And this group is better off because of it."

"Thanks Jen." Starr said, with a smile. "That really means a lot."

"You are most certainly welcome." Jen said, smiling as well.

"Okay, now that we've cleared that up, what do you guys want to do tonight?" Jonesy asked, his tone slightly impatient.

"I was thinking of catching a movie, if you all are up for it?" Nikki said.

"Sure, sounds good to me." Wyatt answered, glancing at Jen, who nodded in agreement.

"A movie sounds great bra." Jude said, while Caitlin and Starr nodded in agreement as well. "There's a great new action flick playing at the Gigantoplex that I really want see." He glanced at Nikki with a hopeful expression then, making the others laugh.

"Alright, we'll see the action flick." Nikki sighed, though it was obvious she'd had something else in mind.

"Thanks bra." Jude said as they made their way over to the Gigantoplex. Like their table, the theater held many memories for them, though truthfully the entire mall did, as they'd spent nearly every hour of their teenage years here, except for when they were in school or at home.

As they got in line to buy their tickets Jonesy spotted Wayne, the owner of Underground Video and one of their perpetual enemies during their teenage years. "Hey Wayne, what movie are you seeing?" Jonesy shouted.

Wayne turned and glared at Jonesy. "Hopefully not the same one as you." he shouted back.

"Well, we're seeing the new action movie." Jonesy said, with a smile.

"Damn it." Wayne shouted, rolling his eyes. "Whatever, just don't sit next to me, okay?"

Jonesy just grinned and turned back to the others who were all staring at him. "What?" he asked. "Why are you staring at me?"

"Why do you have to antagonize him like that?" Nikki asked. "Wayne isn't a bad guy. Remember, he was there for us after I was shot."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Jonesy muttered, shuddering at the memory of the shooting in Hawaii that had nearly claimed Nikki's life. "I can't help it though. We just have this thing, Wayne and I, where we annoy the hell out of each other. That's the way it's always been and that's the way it always will be."

"Whatever you say Jonesy." Nikki muttered, rolling her eyes. "Just don't take it too far, please. I don't want you pissing off Ron."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, Miss Wong." an ominous voice said behind them, making them all flinch and turn to find Ron the Rent-a-Cop standing behind them.

"Oh hey Ron, we were just talking about you." Nikki said, with a guilty smile.

"I know." Ron said, his tone icy. "And I wouldn't worry about your husband running afoul of me. I've become much less harsh lately."

"Really?" Jude asked, with a skeptical glance at Ron. "I thought you'd never warm up."

"Yes, Mr. Lizowski, really." Ron said. "And I haven't warmed up, I've simply decided to take a different approach. You can thank Miss Cooke for that. Now, if you'll excuse me, must go." He gave them a curt nod before walking away, leaving the the others staring at Caitlin.

"What did he mean we can thank you for mellowing him out?" Nikki asked.

"Well I...I kind of had a talk with him and told him he needed to be a little less harsh." Caitlin said, grinning.

"You told him?" Wyatt asked. "And he actually listened?"

"It certainly seems that way." Caitlin answered, moving forward with the line. "You did notice how he didn't call any of you maggots, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but...wow Caitlin, I'm impressed." Jen said, changing course mid sentence. "You did the impossible. You got Ron to act like a person, which I never thought was possible."

"You aren't the only one who didn't think it was possible, believe me." said Jonesy.

"Yes, we're all aware of your many run-ins with Ron." Caitlin said. "But really, it wasn't that difficult to get him to listen. I think part of it had something to do with what happened to Nikki and Jen while we were in Hawaii. I think that nearly losing the two of you awakened Ron's compassionate nature and I simply took advantage of that."

"Well, whatever the reason, thank you." said Nikki. "I just wish you'd been able to get to him when we were in high school."

"We all wish I'd gotten to him back then." Caitlin agreed, stepping up to the ticket window as she spoke. "But the universe just didn't want it to happen then, I guess."

Nikki nodded and stepped forward to purchase her ticket, followed by the others, who all seemed to agree with Caitlin's assessment of Ron and why it had taken so long for them to get him to warm up to them. With that, they made their way to the theater where their movie was playing, stopping to buy snacks along the way.

For the next hour and a half they sat in the theater watching the movie, though Jen and Wyatt spent much of the time silently making out at the back of the theater. True to his word, Wayne sat as far away from them as he could, though Nikki noticed him glancing back at them at least twice during the course of the movie. Jude and Jonesy watched the movie with rapt attention, while Caitlin and Starr seemed to be only mildly interested. And Nikki found herself getting drawn into the story in spite of herself to the point that she could even see why Jude had been so excited about this movie.

Finally, an hour and a half later, the movie ended and the gang piled out of the theater, several of them making a pit stop at the bathrooms before they headed back out to the mall. "So, did the movie live up to your expectations Jude?" Jen asked.

"Definitely bra." Jude answered. "I told you guys it was gonna be good."

"Yeah, and you were right." Nikki said. "I'll give you credit for that. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

Jude nodded, appreciating her words, though he said nothing, which Nikki took to mean that he was still thinking about the movie and would thank her later. Or maybe he wouldn't, it didn't really matter to her.

"Okay, so what now?" Jonesy asked, glancing around the group.

"Now we head home." Jen said, her gaze flickering in Wyatt's direction.

"Oh come on, it's still early." Jonesy complained. "You guys can't leave yet."

"Yes, we can." Jen said. "Wyatt and I have things we need to do at home."

"But you just spent the entire fucking movie making out." Jonesy said. "Wasn't that enough? I mean, how much time do you need?"

"Oh Jonesy, let them go." Nikki said. "Let them have their time together."

"Fine." Jonesy muttered. "But just remember Wyatt, she is my step sister so don't do anything too fucked up with her."

"God Jonesy, why would you say something like that?" Jen asked, appalled.

"What, I'm just being honest." Jonesy said. "And I would appreciate it if Wyatt didn't do certain things to you."

"Don't worry Jonesy, I'll be gentle with her." Wyatt said. "See you guys tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we were gonna go hang at Skate City, if you want meet us there." said Jude.

"Will do." said Wyatt. With that, he and Jen left, heading home to a night of more passionate lovemaking. And it was sometime that night that Jen realized that Starr was right, this really was the beginnings of something new and that thought made her smile.

**A/N: And there's chapter two. I know I made it seem like it had been awhile since everyone had been to the mall, but it actually hasn't. I wrote things that way to reintroduce the minor characters, like Ron and Wayne (of course there are still others to be reintroduced, like the Clones, Darth, Julie, Jonesy's brothers, etc.). Anyway, there's not a whole lot else to say about this chapter, so I hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for chapter three.**


	3. Return to Skate City

The next day, sometime around noon, Jen and Wyatt arrived at Skate City, the massive skate park that had been built during the six years they had been gone. They were not surprised to find Jude and Starr waiting for them, especially Jude, as he never missed a chance to skate. He was zipping around the park as Jen and Wyatt walked up, while Starr watched him with a look of loving devotion mixed with awe.

"Hey guys." she said, not looking at Jen and Wyatt as they reached her. "How are you two doing today?"

"We're good." Wyatt answered, smiling. "So, I'm assuming Jude couldn't wait for the rest of us before he started skating?"

"You know Jude." Starr answered, still not looking at him. "When he gets the chance to skate, he takes it."

"That's certainly true." Jen agreed. "So, where are Nikki and Jonesy?"

"Not sure." Starr answered, finally turning to look at them. "I guess Jonesy called this morning and said they'd be running a little late. Jude didn't say why though."

"What about Caitlin?" Wyatt asked. "Is she here yet?"

"No, she's running late as well." Starr answered. "But again, I have no idea why."

"Huh, that's really weird." Wyatt said, glancing at Jen. "You think they're planning something they don't want us to know about?"

"Like what?" Jen asked. "What would they possibly be planning that they'd want to keep secret from us? Besides, if they were planning something, don't you think Jude and Starr would have been involved as well?" She glanced at Starr, who gave no indication that she had any idea what Jen was talking about.

"Maybe they're acting as a diversion." Wyatt suggested. "You know, Jude and Starr keep us here while Nikki, Caitlin, and Jonesy set up some kind of surprise party or something."

"Wow Wyatt, that sounds kind of paranoid to me." Jonesy said from behind him.

Wyatt jumped and turned to find Jonesy, Nikki, and Caitlin staring at him with looks of confusion. Realizing he'd been caught he gave them a sheepish grin and turned his attention back to Jen, who was smiling at him.

"Why didn't you tell me they were behind me?" he asked, staring at her in disbelief.

"I thought it would be funny to see your reaction." she answered, grinning.

"Yeah, it was fucking hilarious." Wyatt muttered, his tone disgruntled.

"Well, in all honesty, it kind of was." Nikki said, slugging Wyatt in the shoulder. "Come on Wyatt, lighten up. It's not like we were planning this you know."

Wyatt glared at her, but said nothing as Jude rolled up, a smile on his face. "Dudes, what's up?" he asked, glancing around at the group.

"Hey Jude, having fun?" Caitlin asked, moving to break the tension.

"You know it bra." Jude answered. "I'll never get tired of tearing this place up. That said, I can tell something is wrong here and I gotta say it's really affecting my vibes. So, what's going on?"

"Wyatt was being paranoid." Jonesy answered, trying not to laugh.

"I was not." Wyatt snapped. "I was asking a perfectly legitimate question."

"You really thought we were planning something?" Nikki asked. "Why would you think something like that?"

"You guys were late and no one seemed to know why." Wyatt answered. "I guess I just thought that something was up, but obviously I was wrong."

"Damn right you were." Jonesy said. "There's nothing for us to be planning for, unless you were thinking we'd throw you and Jen a party for having sex."

"Come on Jonesy, why would say something like that?" Jen asked. "As if we'd want you guys to throw us a party for that."

"I don't know, maybe you would." Jonesy said. "It is kind of a big thing, after all."

"Alright, that's enough of that." Nikki said, moving to diffuse the situation. "There was no plan and it's pretty obvious Jen and Wyatt wouldn't have liked it even if there had been one, so let's all just drop it, okay?"

"Okay, sorry I got so pissed." Wyatt said, nodding at Nikki and Jonesy.

"And we're sorry for making you think we were planning something." Caitlin said, nodding at Wyatt. "However, in case you're wondering why I was late, well, I was checking in on my salon at the mall and I lost track of time."

"Okay, so where were you two?" Wyatt asked, turning to Nikki and Jonesy.

"We were...doing things of a personal nature." Nikki answered, not quite meeting Wyatt's gaze, her tone slightly defensive.

"Is everything okay?" Jen asked, seeming to notice the pause in Nikki's answer.

"Everything is fine." Nikki answered. "It's not something the rest of you need to worry about okay?"

"Whatever bra, I'm going back to skating." Jude said, grabbing his board and dropping back into the pipe without a backwards glance at the others.

"Wait for me." Starr called, grabbing Jude's spare board before following him into the pipe.

The others chose to watch, as none of them had boards and none of them were as good at skating as Jude and Starr were. As they watched Jude and Starr skate Jen kept glancing at Nikki, though she could not bring herself to ask what was wrong. It was obvious that something was wrong though and Jen could tell Wyatt and Caitlin sensed it as well, but she couldn't figure out what it might be. Still, it made her nervous to know that Nikki and Jonesy were keeping something from her, as they both told her everything, so for them to keep this from her meant it was something big. Ultimately she decided not to worry about it. There was a reason Nikki wasn't telling her, but whatever it was that she was keeping secret Jen was sure Nikki would tell when she was ready.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" a familiar voice said then, drawing Jen from her thoughts. She turned, along with the others, to see Jonesy's brothers Diego and Robbie approaching from the other side of the park.

"Oh God, what the fuck do you two want?" Jonesy asked, eying his brothers with suspicion.

"We just wanted to say hi." Robbie answered, glaring at his older brother.

"Oh really?" Jonesy asked. "You sure you're not here to start a fight like the last time we all hung out here?"

"Oh come on dude, that was, like, a year ago." Diego said. "Are you ever gonna let that shit go? Or do you intend to dwell on it forever?"

"He's got a point." said Nikki. "They apologized for that and it was nearly a year ago."

"Why are you defending them?" Jonesy asked, staring at his wife in disbelief.

"Because they're your brothers Jonesy and no matter what they've said about you, or me, in the past you need to let it go." Nikki answered. "You know they were just fucking around anyway, just like you do. So why is this still an issue for you?"

"Because, as my brothers they should realize how much I love you and think before they open their fucking mouths." Jonesy answered.

"You think we don't realize how much you love her?" Robbie asked. "Jonesy, we've been aware of that for longer than I can remember. We're your brothers damn it, don't you think we can tell when you've fallen for someone?"

"Yeah." Diego said, nodding in agreement. "Besides, if you're still so pissed about that, why did you let us be a part of your wedding party when you and Nikki got hitched?"

"Because dad would have been pissed off if I hadn't." Jonesy answered. "And Nikki would have been pissed off as well."

"Damn right I would have." Nikki said. "And I'm kind of pissed off right now. I thought you were over this, especially after how they reacted after I was shot. I thought you'd buried the hatchet with them after that."

"She's got a point." Jen said, glancing at Jonesy, a very serious look on her face.

"Yeah, I guess she does." Jonesy admitted. "I guess it's just being back here at Skate City made me think about the things they said that day or something."

"Which doesn't really make sense." Wyatt said. "We held your bachelor party here and you weren't pissed at them then."

"I was too happy that night to be pissed at anyone." Jonesy said. "I'm sorry for snapping at you guys, okay?"

"Hey, don't worry about it." said Diego. "Like you told us once, we're brothers, it's our job to act like dicks to each other from time to time. Anyway, we gotta go. Darth has some new comics waiting for us." With that, he and Robbie left, just has Jude and Starr returned to the deck of the pipe.

"What did your brothers want?" Jude asked, glancing at Jonesy.

"Nothing much." Jonesy answered. "We just talked, is all."

"Okay." Jude said. "Well, listen dudes, Starr and I were thinking of going to get something to eat. You guys wanna come?"

"Sure, I could use some food." Jonesy answered, glancing at Nikki, who nodded.

"Yeah, we'll come as well." said Jen, Wyatt nodding in agreement as well.

"Well, I guess I'd better come too." said Caitlin. "Don't want to be the only one left out."

Jude nodded and he and Starr led the way out of Skate City. Moments later they arrived at the parking lot, but before any of them could get into their cars a gruff voice called out, making them all jump.

"MASTERSON!" the voice shouted. Jen froze and then turned to see her former employer, Coach Halder, striding across the parking lot.

"Hey Coach, what are you doing at Skate City?" Jen asked, smiling at him.

"I heard you were at the mall last night and I wanted to see how you're doing." Coach Halder answered.

"How did you know I'd be here though?" Jen asked, confused.

"Ron told me." Coach Halder answered. "I guess he overheard you guys planning to meet here or something. Anyway, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine." Jen answered. "Except for the braces, I'm going quite well actually. Almost completely healed."

"That's good to hear." Coach Halder said. "Though not altogether surprising."

"What do you mean by that?" Jen asked, confused again.

"Well, you're tough." Coach Halder answered. "I always knew you'd pull through this thing. And don't worry about what the doctors say, you'll be back to playing sports before you know it. I have faith in you Masterson and I always will."

"Thanks Coach." Jen said, beaming. She had always known that Coach Halder thought she was special, but to learn that he had never doubted her recovery was more than she could have expected, no matter how kind he had been to her in the past.

"You are most certainly welcome." Coach Halder said. "Anyway, I've got to get back to work. I'm glad your on the mend Masterson and feel free to drop by the Penalty Box any time."

"Will do." Jen said, smiling. Coach Halder nodded and left, leaving the Gang to head to lunch and Jen to ponder his words.

**A/N: And that's chapter 3. You're probably wondering why I had them meet at Skate City if I wasn't planning on having them all skate, but don't worry, there is a reason. You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out what it is, but there is a reason. Also, Nikki and Jonesy are keeping something from the others, but you'll have to wait to find out about that as well. And, as you can see, I brought Coach, Diego, and Robbie back for this chapter and Darth and Julie will pop up in the next one. Until then, hope you enjoyed.**


	4. The Most Radical Wedding Ever

A short time later the Gang arrived at the restaurant Jude and Starr had chosen for lunch. The restaurant was a nice little Mexican place that had recently opened up downtown and was supposed to have really good food. Jude and Starr had eaten there once before and assured the others that the critics were right about how good the food was. But even without Jude and Starr's assurances the others were happy to eat here, especially Jonesy, who had been dying to try this place ever since Jude had told him about it. And so, here they were, about to enjoy what Jude claimed was the best food he had ever eaten.

Once the Gang was seated and had made their orders, Caitlin turned their conversation to the surprise meeting with Coach Halder at Skate City. "So, am I the only one who thought it was weird running into Coach at Skate City?" she asked.

"What makes you say that?" Jen asked, with a curious glance at the blond.

"I don't know." Caitlin admitted. "It just seems kind of strange that he'd show up there just to check in on you."

"Yeah, well, like he said, Ron told him we were gonna be there." Jen said. "And I don't think it's weird he wants to check in on me. I did work for him for a long time, you know?"

"Yeah, but couldn't he have met you somewhere else?" Caitlin asked. "It just seems strange that he'd go to Ron to find out where you'd be."

"Actually, I think Ron went to him." Nikki said. "At least that's the impression I got."

"Okay, whatever." Caitlin said, her tone irritated. "That still doesn't explain why they were talking about Jen at all."

"Jeez Cait, why are you making such a big deal about this?" Jonesy asked. "Why does it matter why they were talking about Jen? Isn't the fact that they showed concern about her wellbeing good enough?"

"I guess it is." Caitlin answered, though she seemed unsure. "I guess I was just thinking it was weird that two old men were talking about Jen behind her back. Sorry I brought it up."

"It's fine Cait." Jen said. "I appreciate your concern, truly I do, but I don't think you need to worry about Ron and Coach doing anything to me. Coach genuinely cares about me and Ron...well, he may be grumpy, but I don't think he's a pervert."

"Yeah, you're probably right about that." Caitlin conceded. "I just get paranoid sometimes that there's someone waiting to attack and rape one of us."

"Fucking hell Caitlin, why would think something like that?" Nikki asked, horrified.

"I don't know." Caitlin answered. "Maybe I've been watching too much TV or something."

"Yeah, maybe you have." Wyatt said, just as horrified as Nikki.

"Yeah, I agree bro." said Jude. "So could we turn this conversation in a less fucked up direction please?"

"Yeah, lets talk about the food that's just arrived." Jonesy said, eying the plates of steaming, sizzling food that had just been placed on the table.

"Good idea bro." Jude said, grinning and slapping Jonesy a high five.

None of them had known what to get when they had arrived at the restaurant so they had chosen to order a variety of dishes and share them amongst themselves. That seemed to have been a good decision, especially now that food had arrived, for sitting there before them were plates stacked high with tacos, burritos, taquitos, carne asada, beans, and a variety of other delicious Mexican food.

For the next twenty minutes or so the Gang ate in silence, all of them too consumed in the magnificence of their food to talk. Jude and Starr had been right, this was the best Mexican food in town and all of them knew they'd be eating here again in the future.

Finally, after a long moment of silent eating, Jude paused and glanced around the table before belching. "Excuse me dudes." he said, while Jonesy fought to keep himself from laughing. "Anyway, there is another reason why Starr and I wanted to bring you guys here besides the food."

"You needed a reason other than the food?" Jonesy asked, confused.

"We didn't need another reason." Starr said. "We just thought it would be nice to treat you all to lunch before we told you."

"Told us what?" Caitlin asked, just as confused as Jonesy.

"That we've decided to have our wedding at Skate City." Starr answered, smiling.

Her statement was greeted by stunned silence, as none of the others had any idea how to react to something like this.

"Well, what do you guys think?" Jude asked, after a moment of silence.

"I...I don't know what to say Jude." Jen said. "Are you sure this is what you want to do? I mean, it's one thing to hold a bachelor party there, but an actual wedding? I don't know how that would even work."

"It'll be fine bra." Jude said. "Think about it. There is no other place on Earth better for me and Starr to get married. It's the greatest skate park on the planet and it'll be the most radical wedding ever, don't you think?"

"Well yeah Jude, of course it would be a radical wedding." Jonesy said. "But do you think it's possible? I mean, do you think the city will let you hold your wedding there?"

"They let you hold your bachelor party there, didn't they?" Starr asked.

"Yeah, but like Jen said, a bachelor party is one thing. A wedding is something else entirely." Jonesy said.

"What do the rest of you think?" Starr asked, glancing at the rest of the group.

"Honestly I think it's a great idea." Nikki said. "But I have to agree with Jonesy and Jen. I think it'll be hard for you to get permission to hold your wedding there."

"I'm inclined to agree with them." Wyatt said, his tone apologetic as he glanced at Jude.

"I...well, if I'm being honest I think it won't work either." Caitlin said, not meeting Jude's gaze. "Which is sad, because it is a good idea in theory."

Jude and Starr both sat in stunned silence following the admissions of their friends. Neither of them could say they were totally surprised by this reaction, but they had expected at least one of the others to be supportive of their decision to hold their wedding at Skate City. But before either of them could comment on this they were interrupted by someone else whose opinion they had not been expecting.

"Well, I, for one, think it is a wonderful idea and I think it can be done." said a familiar voice, making them all turn to find Darth and Julie smiling at them from the next table.

"Thank you Julie." Starr said, smiling. "It's nice to see that someone thinks Jude and I can pull this off." She cast a dark look at the others as she spoke, making them shrink in their seats.

"You're welcome Starr." Julie said, smiling as well.

"What makes you think they can do it?" Jonesy asked then, drawing Julie's attention.

"It's quite simple actually." Julie answered. "All they need to do is meet with the city council and explain their situation. That should be enough to get them permission to use Skate City as the location for their wedding."

"And what if it's not?" Jude asked, suddenly concerned.

"Well, then you'll have to come up with another plan." Julie said. "But it'll work, trust me."

"Okay, we'll go do that once we're done here." Jude said. "Thanks bra."

"No problem." Julie said, smiling again. "It's always nice to help friends."

"How long have you two been sitting there anyway?" Wyatt asked.

"We came in just after you did." Darth answered. "You guys were so busy deciding what to order that you didn't notice us."

"I guess not." Jonesy said. "Either that or you really are a Jedi."

"No, I am not a Jedi." Darth said, annoyed. "As I have already explained to you, I gave up on that dream years ago."

"Okay, sorry I mentioned it." Jonesy said. "By the way Julie, I'm surprised you're willing to eat here after spending so long working at Wonder Taco."

"Yes, well, I don't let the fact that I worked at that crappy excuse for a restaurant stop me from enjoying good Mexican food." Julie said.

"That's good to know." Jen said. "I'm glad working at Wonder Taco didn't ruin Mexican food for you, especially now that you have this place to eat at."

"Trust me Jen, it'll take a lot more than working at Wonder Taco to ruin Mexican food for me." Julie said, smiling. "As Darth can attest to, since we've eaten lunch here every day since this place opened."

"Really?" Caitlin asked. "Why would do something like that?"

"Well, partially because the food is so good." said Darth. "And partially because our comic shop is just two blocks from here."

"Speaking of which, did Diego and Robbie stop by earlier?" Jonesy asked.

"Yeah, we had some comics waiting for them." Darth answered. "Why do you ask?"

"We ran in to them at Skate City before we came here and I just thought I'd ask." Jonesy answered, grinning.

"Whatever, they're your brothers." Darth said, with a shrug. "Anyway, we've got to go. So, we'll talk to you guys later."

"Yeah, see you later." Nikki said, as Darth and Julie took their leave.

As soon as they were gone Jonesy turned to Jude and Starr and apologized, an action the others quickly followed. To their surprise Jude and Starr were not angry, Julie's helpful information seeming to have calmed whatever anger had been there. With that, Jude paid for their meal and they took their leave. Jonesy wanted to hang out more, but Nikki said she wasn't feeling well so they headed home. A short time later, Jude and Starr left as well, followed by Caitlin, leaving Jen and Wyatt alone once again. They would head back to Wyatt's place, though they ended up just watching TV for awhile before going to bed, Wyatt talking the whole time about how Jude was right about his idea being radical, while Jen just worried about Nikki and Jonesy the whole time.

**A/N: Well, there's chapter 4. Sorry it took so long to get this up. I meant to post it last week, but I got really busy with the online class I've been taking. Anyway, we now know the location of Jude and Starr's wedding, or at least where they want it to be. Also, I'll reveal next chapter what's going on with Nikki and Jonesy and it may surprise you. Finally, sorry if reading this chapter made you hungry with all the mentions of Mexican food, but that's something you'll have to deal with on your own.**


	5. Unwelcome News

Jonesy awoke to the sound of Nikki's muffled sobs. Concerned he slid out of bed and made his way to the bathroom, where he found her sitting on the floor, tears glistening in her eyes. He knew why she was crying but he was still compelled to ask, "Nikki, what's wrong?"

She glanced at him with a look that was a mixture of irritation and sorrow. "You know full well what's wrong." she said, her tone flat and lifeless.

It was true, he did know what was wrong. But it was hard for him to say it out loud. Somehow saying it out loud felt like giving up and that was something Jonesy wasn't willing to do, not until they knew for sure. Still, he realized that asking Nikki that question had been the wrong move and he moved to smooth things over.

"You're right, I do know." he said. "And I'm sorry. But you can't give up hope yet."

"How can you stand there and tell me that?" Nikki snapped. "Why shouldn't I give up? It's obvious this isn't going to work."

"You can't think like that Nikki." Jonesy said, his tone soothing. "There's still a chance we can do this. You can't give up now, not until we know for sure."

"Jonesy, it's been more than three months." Nikki said, her tone growing more hysterical with each word. "If we were meant to do this, don't you think it would have happened by now?"

"How should I know?" Jonesy asked, fighting back his anger. "I don't know how the female body works. Besides, you were in a coma for one of those months, so we couldn't really have sex then could we?"

"I guess we couldn't have." Nikki conceded. "Still, it's been long enough that it should have happened by now. I had my last period just a couple days ago, so you tell me, how are we supposed to stay confident about this when each time it seems like we're gonna pull it off we come up short? Cuz I can't take it anymore. I can't deal with the pain anymore. I want this so bad it hurts, but some things just aren't meant to be."

"Yeah, and the only way we'll know that for sure is by not giving up." Jonesy said. "Look, we'll go to the doctor tomorrow like we planned and then we'll see. Who knows, maybe this will be the spark that gets the ball rolling."

Nikki smiled then, appreciating his words, though she was still unsure if she could continue to do this. But Jonesy did have a point. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe there was still a chance. Maybe they could make this work after all. With that thought in mind Nikki made her way back to bed, Jonesy following a moment later after stopping to pee.

* * *

The next morning Nikki and Jonesy made their way over to the woman's health clinic near the hospital for their appointment with Doctor Erica Hull, one of the most renowned obstetricians in the city. Dr. Hull specialized in helping women who were having trouble getting pregnant and Nikki felt this was the only way to learn why she was having trouble.

Jonesy was pleased to see that Nikki was in a better mood than she had been the previous night, but he knew she wouldn't be completely reassured until they had met with Dr. Hull. And even then there was a chance the news would not turn out to be positive, something that Jonesy was dreading as Nikki would be crushed if it turned out she couldn't have kids. But there was no sense in worrying about it now, as they wouldn't know for sure until they had met with Dr. Hull.

A half hour later, Nikki and Jonesy found themselves in an examination room, waiting for Dr. Hull to arrive. Nikki was nervous and she could tell Jonesy was uncomfortable, but she knew there was no way he was going to leave her. They had been told when they arrived at the clinic that husbands didn't usually accompany their wives to the examination rooms, but Nikki had insisted Jonesy join her and he had been more than willing to oblige her request. Still, even Jonesy's presence wasn't enough to calm Nikki's nerves and she felt like she was about to explode with nervous tension.

At that moment the door opened and a woman in her mid-thirties entered the room. She was dressed in dark pants and a gray turtleneck, with a white lab-coat thrown on over her outfit. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore glasses. She carried a clipboard in her right hand, which she set on the counter before turning her attention to Nikki and Jonesy.

"Hello." she said, smiling. "My name is Doctor Erica Hull and I'll be helping you figure out why you're having trouble getting pregnant."

Her tone was light and friendly, which made Nikki relax a bit. She had not been expecting someone quite so young and was surprised by how friendly Dr. Hull was. Nikki had never liked hospitals or doctors, but she found Dr. Hull to be quite the opposite of the doctors she had dealt with in the past, which was promising, for even if things turned out bad at least she had a doctor who would be sympathetic to her plight.

"Hello." Nikki said, rising to her feet. "I'm Nikki Wong and this is my husband Jonesy Garcia. Is it okay that he's here?"

"Of course it is." Dr. Hull answered. "Now, lets get to figuring out what's wrong, shall we?" She smiled and turned to get the blood pressure cuff that hung on the wall behind her. "We'll start by taking your blood pressure and proceed from there, okay?"

Nikki nodded and Dr. Hull wrapped the cuff around her left arm, before pumping it up. Several silent seconds passed while Dr. Hull watched the pressure gage and then she released the pressure. "Well, your blood pressure is normal, so that's not the cause." she said. "Why don't you hop up on the table and I'll see what I can find."

Nikki obeyed and Dr. Hull spent the next several minutes checking her pulse, breathing, and other physical indicators for any signs that something was wrong, but she seemed unable to find anything. "Hmm, that is strange." she said, after taking a moment to jot down a few notes.

"What is it?" Jonesy asked. "Did you find something?"

"No." Dr. Hull answered. "By all accounts your wife is perfectly healthy."

"Then why haven't I been able to get pregnant?" Nikki asked, her tone confused.

"I'm not sure." Dr. Hull said. "Though there are reasons we can test for. It will take a few days, but the results will be more conclusive than this examination."

"I will do anything." Nikki said, a note of pleading in her tone. "I want to know why this isn't working."

"Okay." Dr. Hull said. "All I'll need from you is some blood samples and we'll be good to go." She smiled and Nikki glanced at Jonesy who had gone stark white at the mention of blood.

"Maybe you'd better wait outside for this part." she said, nodding at her husband.

"Yeah, I'll do that." Jonesy said, with a grateful smile. "Let me know when you're done."

Nikki nodded and Jonesy left the room before Dr. Hull pulled out a needle and a pair of vials. She then tied a strip of latex around Nikki's left arm and checked for a vein, finding one seconds later. She then inserted the needle and began drawing Nikki's blood.

"Your husband's not fond of blood, I take it?" she asked, glancing at Nikki.

"No, he's never been fond of it." Nikki answered. "Once, when we were in high school there was a blood drive at the mall and he had to fight that fear all day just so he could get one of the cookies they were handing out."

"Some people are like that." Dr. Hull said, smiling. "I was afraid of blood before I entered medical school. But I got over it. You should tell him that. Maybe it will help him overcome his fear."

Nikki smiled and nodded while Dr. Hull drew the needle from her arm. She handed Nikki a ball of cotton to stem the blood flow with and then tapped the ball to Nikki's arm before going to fetch Jonesy, who was waiting in the hall.

"Well, that's all I need for now." Dr. Hull said. "I should have your results in a couple days, so I'll call you when I know."

"Thank you." Nikki said, grateful for the help. "I do have one more question though." Dr. Hull nodded and Nikki continued. "A few months back I was shot while we were on our honeymoon in Hawaii and I was just wondering if that could have had an affect on this?"

"It is possible, though not likely." Dr. Hull answered, smiling. "The tests I'm having done on your blood should tell us everything though, so don't worry about it."

"Okay, thank you again." Nikki said, nodding, her relief plain to see.

"You are welcome." Dr. Hull said, and with that Nikki and Jonesy took their leave.

* * *

Two days later Nikki sat on the couch watching TV, waiting for Dr. Hull's call. She had promised Jonesy she wouldn't worry, but she couldn't help it. It was like the worst torture imaginable waiting to hear from Dr. Hull and Nikki wasn't sure how much longer she could wait before she went insane. But she had to be strong. Worrying would do her no good and would not get her a response from Dr. Hull any quicker. Still, she hoped the answer would come soon before she lost all hope.

For his part, Jonesy was nearly as distraught as Nikki, but he was better at concealing it. He had also gained the unpleasant task of keeping their friends out of the loop, as Nikki didn't want them knowing about this until she and Jonesy were sure. Jonesy was finding it difficult to keep the others at bay however, especially Jen who was growing more and more worried about Nikki with each day that passed. So far Jonesy had managed to keep them from learning what was going on but he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to keep up the charade.

Finally, three days after meeting with Dr. Hull, Nikki got the call she had been waiting for, but the news was not good. As soon as the phone rang Nikki answered it, her tone hopeful. "Hello?" she asked.

"Miss Wong?" Dr. Hull's voice asked. Her tone was not light and friendly now and Nikki felt her heart sink.

"Yes?" Nikki asked. "Do you have the results of my tests?"

"I do and I'm afraid they are not good." Dr. Hull answered. "It seems that the gunshot wounds you sustained in Hawaii, along with the surgery you had there have left you with an excessive amount of scar tissue that will make it impossible for you to carry a child. There is also something wrong with your eggs, though I'm still trying to figure that out. In any case, you will never be able to get pregnant. I am sorry."

The line went dead and for a moment Nikki just stood in shocked silence before breaking down, her whole body shaking with the force of her sobs. Hearing this, Jonesy rushed into the room, finding Nikki curled up on the floor.

"Nikki, what's wrong?" he asked. "Was that Dr. Hull who just called?"

"Yes." Nikki managed to say between sobs, though she was unable to meet his gaze.

"What did she say?" Jonesy asked, though he could guess by her reaction.

"She...she said...I can't get pregnant." Nikki answered, her voice trembling.

Jonesy was shocked. He didn't know how to respond. How could this be happening? "Oh Nikki, I am so sorry." he said, embracing her as he fought back tears of his own.

Nikki made no response and for a long moment they lay on the floor, both of them silent in the shock and grief.

The silence was broken by the sound of the doorbell. Cursing Jonesy pulled himself to his feet and made his way over to the door, flinging it open in irritation a moment later to find Jen, Wyatt, Jude, Caitlin, and Starr standing on the porch.

"Now isn't really a good time guys." he said, trying not to snap at them.

"No, now it the perfect time." Jen said, her tone defiant. "Something is going on with you and Nikki and I want to know what it is."

"Well, like I said, now isn't the best time, so fuck off." Jonesy snapped.

"Jonesy, let them in." Nikki said then, her voice hoarse and sullen. "It's time they knew the truth. We can't keep hiding it from them, so let them in."

Sighing Jonesy stood aside to let the others in, rolling his eyes at Jen's satisfied smirk. Jen's smirk disappeared as soon as she saw Nikki however and she turned to stare at Jonesy, horrified.

"What the hell is going on here?" Jen asked, her gaze boring in to her stepbrother. "Why is Nikki sobbing on the floor?"

"We got some unwelcome news today and she's taking it pretty hard." Jonesy answered, not meeting Jen's gaze.

"What kind of unwelcome news?" Wyatt asked, glancing at Jonesy.

"We just found out Nikki can't get pregnant." Jonesy answered, his voice cracking.

For a moment the others stood in stunned silence and then Jen moved to Nikki's side. "Oh God, Nikki, I am so sorry." she said. "Why didn't you tell us you were trying to get pregnant?"

"We wanted it to be a surprise, but now it'll never happen." Nikki said, fighting to keep more tears from escaping.

"What happened?" Caitlin asked. "Why can't you get pregnant?"

"It has something to do with me getting shot." Nikki answered. "There's an excessive amount of scar tissue or something like that and it's preventing me from getting pregnant. Also, there's apparently something wrong with my eggs, though the doctor didn't know what."

"God, Nik, that sucks." Wyatt said. "If there is anything we can do, just let us know."

"Thank you, all of you." Nikki said. "But there's nothing that can be done. I appreciate your sympathy though."

"No problem bra." Jude said. "On a more positive note, Starr and I got permission to hold our wedding at Skate City."

"Really dude?" Jonesy asked. "You just found out Nikki can't get pregnant and you choose to tell us that now? What's wrong with you?"

"No, it's fine." Nikki said, before Jude could respond. "It's nice to know some of us can still get what we want. I'm happy for you Jude, truly. And Starr as well."

"Thanks bra." Jude said, smiling. "Now what do you say we do something to take our minds off this depressing news?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." said Nikki. With that, they set about finding something to do to make them forget about the bad news they had just gotten, while also looking forward to what was hopefully a brighter future.

**A/N: Well, there you go. Now you know what Nikki and Jonesy were keeping secret. It may or may not have been what any of you were expecting, but there you go. That's really all I've got to say about this, so I guess that's it for now. Well that, and the fact that I'll be taking a break from working on this for awhile while I work on finishing A Destiny of Death. So it'll likely be a week or two at least before I update this again. Sorry in advance.**


	6. Parties and Plans

Jude sat on the edge of the bed watching Starr sleep, a smile on his face. He couldn't help being happy despite the bad news Nikki had gotten the day before. He and Starr were getting married in a few weeks and to make things even better they were going to have their wedding at Skate City. It was a dream come true for Jude, who had wanted this ever since he and Starr had gotten back together more than two years earlier. They had spent much of that time cruising around the country together looking for places to skate, but Jude hadn't thought to actually propose until after Nikki and Jonesy had gotten married. And even then it had taken Nikki getting shot to make him realize that life was too short to wait for the right moment and he had just asked her. And she had said yes, to his immense relief, not that he had really expected her to do anything else.

So, here they were, only a few weeks away from their wedding and Jude couldn't be happier. And yet, there was a small amount of doubt mixed in with his happiness, a doubt that forced him to question if this was really the right move. Were he and Starr really ready to make a commitment like this? Would settling down in a committed relationship like this hurt their carefree lifestyle? Jude shook his head, banishing the doubts to the recesses of his mind. He was being irrational and he didn't like it. Of course this was the right move. He and Starr were made for each other and there would never be a better time for them to get married than now. That was the reality of the situation and Jude would never again allow himself to think otherwise.

At that moment he felt Starr stir beside him and turned to look at her. "Hey babe." he said. "How are you this morning?"

Starr glanced at him and smiled. "I'm good." she replied. "How are you?"

"Chill and mellow as ever bra." he answered, with a wry smile.

"That's good to know." Starr said, sliding into a sitting position as she spoke. "Because we still have a lot of plans to iron out before the big day."

"Yeah, I know." Jude said. "And freaking out about the magnitude of it all won't help the situation, will it?"

"Exactly." Starr said, nodding. "We have to be calm and collected or things could get all messed up before they even get started." She smiled again before standing and making her way to the bathroom without a backwards glance.

Jude smiled to himself and followed her, knowing full well what it was that she wanted. It wasn't like Starr to want sex this early in the morning, but Jude was happy to oblige, even though it was early and it felt kind of weird to be having sex in the morning. But Jude had learned long ago that Starr was a little different and he wasn't about to complain, especially since it was her odd quirks that made him like her so much.

* * *

Sometime later, Jude and Starr met up with the others at the mall to discuss the early plans for the wedding. Jude and Starr had decided to forgo a wedding planner, instead choosing to plan their wedding themselves, with some helpful input from their friends. It was a little unconventional to go this route, but the others supported the decision wholeheartedly, especially Caitlin who relished the chance to give Jude and Starr their dream wedding, something she hadn't gotten to do when Nikki and Jonesy had gotten married.

"Okay, so do you two know what you want yet?" Caitlin asked, glancing at Jude and Starr once everyone was gathered at their table.

"Well, we want to have the wedding at Skate City, but beyond that I don't really know yet." Jude answered, with a shrug.

"Yes, well, I think you need a better plan than just holding the wedding at Skate City." said Caitlin, her tone impatient.

"Calm down Cait." Jen said, with an incredulous glance at the blond. "You're acting a little crazy at the moment and you need to give Jude and Starr a chance to think."

"Okay, I'm sorry." Caitlin said. "I'm just really excited about this, you know?"

"Yeah, we can tell." Nikki muttered, her tone sullen.

"Look Nik, if you don't want to be here, you don't have to be bra." Jude said, his tone sympathetic. "I know you're still dealing with the shock of the news you got yesterday and Starr and I understand if you need some time."

"No, I'm good." Nikki said, with a small smile. "I can't dwell on that forever and there is no better distraction than helping you and Starr get your dream wedding."

"Okay, if you're sure you're okay." Jude said, not quite meeting Nikki's gaze. It was hard to be happy when Nikki was suffering and Jude could tell he wasn't the only one who felt this way. None of them had known she and Jonesy had been trying to get pregnant, but to learn that she couldn't had almost been worse than when they had learned she had been shot.

Seeming to sense this Nikki smiled and glanced around the table. "It's okay guys, really." she said. "I am devastated that I can't get pregnant, but that shouldn't stop any of us from moving forward. We need to focus on planning this wedding. I can take care of my issues later."

"Okay then, well, here's what I'd like to see." Starr said. "I'd like a wedding that isn't some big, extravagant thing. I want it to be simple and without a lot of fuss."

"So, the exact opposite of what Caitlin was hoping you'd say." Jonesy said, grinning.

"Pretty much." Starr said, glancing at Caitlin as she spoke. "Sorry Caitlin, but I think the fact that we're doing this at Skate City is extravagant enough."

"No, it's fine." Caitlin said, though she sounded disappointed. "It's your wedding, so we'll do whatever you want."

"What are your thoughts on that plan Jude?" Wyatt asked, glancing at Jude as he spoke.

"I think it's a stellar plan bro." Jude answered. "Whatever Starr wants is fine with me."

"Dude, you do know that you get an opinion here as well, right?" Jonesy asked.

"Yeah, I know." Jude said. "But I think Starr is right. Holding this wedding at Skate City is all the extravagance we need, don't you think? I mean, sure, we could pull out all the stops and have some crazy extravagant wedding like a rock star or something, but then we'd lose the point. We'd get so caught up in the party aspect and we'd lose sight of the real reason we're doing this, which is the love Starr and I share. You catch my drift, bro?"

"Yeah, I get it dude." Jonesy said, taken aback by Jude's speech. "I was just making sure you knew you had a say."

"I think it's pretty obvious he does." Jen said, with an amused glance at Jude.

Jonesy rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Starr and Caitlin, who had ignored his exchange with Jude. "Okay, so, now that we've gotten that out of the way, have you chosen whose going to stand with you?" he asked.

"Yeah, I was going to ask Caitlin to be my matron of honor." Starr answered. "And Nikki, Jen, and Julie will be my bridesmaids, of course."

"And I'd like you to be my best man, bro." Jude said, turning towards Jonesy.

"Definitely dude." Jonesy said, with a grin. "What about your groomsmen?"

"Well, Wyatt obviously." Jude said. "And I was thinking I'd ask Darth and Wayne to be the other two, cuz they're cool dudes."

"Well, Darth is anyway." Jonesy muttered. "I'm not so sure about Wayne."

"Don't be an ass Jonesy." Nikki said. "Wayne isn't a bad guy. Remember, he did come to Hawaii after I was shot. Just because he was a little cold to us the other day doesn't mean you have to act the same way."

"Okay, sorry I said anything." Jonesy said, obviously wishing he hadn't spoken.

"What about parties?" Wyatt asked, glancing at Jude and Starr.

"What about them?" Starr asked, meeting Wyatt's gaze as she spoke.

"Wait, are you not planning on having a bachelorette party?" Wyatt asked.

"I hadn't really thought about it, actually." Starr replied. "But now that you mention it I guess I could go for one."

"What about you Jude?" Jonesy asked. "You down for a bachelor party?"

"Sure." Jude said. "But it better be rad dude, or I'm gonna be disappointed."

"Oh, don't you worry." Jonesy said, with a grin. "I'm gonna throw you such an awesome bachelor party you won't even know what hit you."

* * *

Two days later Jude found himself at a local bar where one of his favorite bands was playing; Jonesy, Wyatt, Darth, Wayne, Ron, Coach Halder, Diego, and Robbie joining him for his bachelor party. Jonesy hadn't been lying when he'd said he'd throw Jude an awesome party, but Jude hadn't been expecting something quite this good. Truthfully, it was a little weird to be having his bachelor party now, considering the wedding was still two weeks away, but Jonesy hadn't wanted to wait and so here they were. Jude just hoped Starr was having as much fun at her bachelorette party, which was being held at Grind Me, the coffee shop at the mall.

"So, what do you think dude?" Jonesy asked, nudging Jude in the ribs.

"I think this is awesome." Jude said. "I must admit I wasn't sure what to expect when you told me you were gonna give me an awesome party, but this is better than anything I could have possibly anticipated dude. Thanks."

"No problem dude." Jonesy said. "Though I didn't do this alone. Wyatt helped."

"Hey, don't forget about us, you dick." Diego shouted, gesturing at himself and Robbie. "We helped too, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Jonesy muttered. "Shut the fuck up and enjoy the show."

Diego flipped him off and turned his attention back to the band that was currently playing, who were one of the opening acts. Jonesy shook his head and turned his attention back to Jude. "Sorry about that." he muttered. "They still don't understand the concept of keeping their mouths shut."

"It's okay bro." Jude said. "It wouldn't be a party if you weren't arguing with your brothers. Also, it's kind of entertaining."

"Besides, since when have you been good at keeping your mouth shut?" Wyatt asked, cutting in with a glance at Jonesy.

"Since I married Nikki." Jonesy answered, though his tone was unconvincing.

"Yeah right dude." Jude said. "Marrying Nikki didn't change you at all. Don't forget, we've been watching you and you're still the same petulant, cocky jackass you've always been. Not that I think that's a bad thing, but it is the truth."

"Amen to that." said Wayne, from the other end of the table.

"Alright, that's enough of that shit." Jonesy said, his tone disgruntled. "We're not here to discuss my shortcomings. We're here to celebrate the end of Jude's life as a bachelor."

"Yeah, but don't we need drinks for that?" Wayne asked, his tone incredulous.

"Indeed we do." Jonesy said, just as multiple pitchers of beer were brought to the table. "And here they are now, just as you requested." He grinned and Wayne rolled his eyes as Jonesy grabbed a glass and raised it in a toast. The others followed suit and before they knew it they were fully engrossed in the party, all other thoughts forgotten.

* * *

Meanwhile at Grind Me, Starr's bachelorette party wasn't going quite as well. Caitlin had done her best to make the place festive, but the coffee shop just seemed like a cliché now considering Nikki's party had been here, as had Mrs. Masterson's and Mr. Garcia's when they had gotten married, thanks to some poor planing on Jonesy and Jen's part. Knowing this, Starr was finding it hard to have a good time, as were her guests. Nikki, Jen, Julie, the Clones, and Jen's sister Courtney were just sitting around looking bored and Starr couldn't blame them. Even Caitlin looked bored and she was the one who had put this thing together. But it wasn't Caitlin's party planning that had them all down, it was the fact that Nikki had found out what the guys were doing and it sounded a lot more fun.

"I'm sorry guys, this sucks." Caitlin said, glancing around the room.

"Cait, you're the one who planned this." Jen muttered, not meeting Caitlin's gaze.

"I know and now I'm wishing I hadn't." Caitlin said. "I thought holding the party here would somehow make it great, but it didn't and I'm sorry."

"Don't be so hard on yourself Caitlin." Starr said. "You did a good job. But I think the fact that we held Nikki's part here as well kind of killed some of the mystique about this place."

"Yeah, I think you're right." Caitlin said, sighing. "So, what do we do now?"

"We could always head to the bar and crash Jude's party." Nikki said, looking happier than she had in days.

"Actually, that's not a half bad idea." Starr said. "I've always wanted to see this band that's playing there tonight."

"Well let's get going then." Jen said. "If we leave now we can still make it before the headliners take the stage."

With that the girls packed up and made their way over to the bar, all of them throughly enjoying the idea of crashing Jude's party.

* * *

A short time later the girls arrived at the bar just as the headlining band was taking the stage. Starr spied Jude at the front of the crowd and pushed her way towards him, the others following in her wake. Jude turned just in time to see them and his mouth fell open in surprise.

"Hey, what're you guys doing here?" Jonesy asked then from somewhere behind Jude, his speech slurred.

"Oh God, are you drunk?" Nikki asked, glancing at him.

"Damn right I am." Jonesy said. "We're...uh...having a party. S'pposed to get drunk at a party." He wobbled then and Nikki caught him, laughing at his drunken antics.

"Okay, well, you mind getting us some drinks?" Jen asked, glancing at her stepbrother.

"Not until you tell us why you're here." Jonesy muttered.

"Our party wasn't going well, okay?" Caitlin answered. "Now go get us some drinks."

Jonesy winked and staggered off towards the bar, Wyatt following him so he wouldn't have to carry all the drinks himself. Moments later they returned with drinks and the gang spent the rest of the night listening to music and celebrating the end of Jude and Starr's separate lives, unaware that their world was about to be turned upside down.

**A/N: Well, there's chapter six. I meant to post this yesterday, but I got distracted, so sorry about that. Anyway, we are now getting into the meat of the story, so to speak, and things are going to start getting interesting here over the course of the next few chapters, so get ready, cuz we're getting ever closer to the reasons why this fic is labeled a friendship/tragedy fic.**


	7. Old Lovers Return

Sometime the next day Wyatt groggily came to, his head pounding and his stomach churning. Groaning, he staggered towards the bathroom, the room spinning around him as he moved. For a moment he couldn't remember what had happened and then the memories came back to him in a rush, just as he doubled over the toilet and puked. He had been at a bar with the others celebrating Jude's bachelor party and had obviously gotten plastered. He couldn't remember leaving the bar however and had no idea how he'd gotten home. He supposed someone must have driven him home, though he could not think of who, for if he had gotten this plastered then surely the others had as well. Wyatt wasn't a big drinker, except when it came to coffee, and he only drank to excess when he was pressured into it by the others. And that must have been what happened, because no other explanation made any sense. It still didn't answer the question of how he'd gotten home however and Wyatt sensed it would take some investigation to figure that one out.

Groaning at the prospect he pulled himself to his feet and staggered back to the bedroom, where Jen was still passed out on the bed. Perhaps that was how he'd gotten home. Maybe Jen had driven him. Wyatt vaguely remembered the girls showing up at the bar, but it seemed they had gotten drunk as well considering Jen was still out like a light. So how had they gotten here? Wyatt had no idea and he was beginning to get annoyed with his inability to remember. Deciding a nice, hot coffee would help him feel better Wyatt moved towards the kitchen, only to be stopped by Jen's muffled groan as she came to.

"Hey Jen." Wyatt said, glancing at her over his shoulder.

"Oh God, never again." Jen groaned, rubbing her temples, seemingly oblivious to Wyatt's presence in the room.

"Not feeling good are we?" Wyatt asked, his tone amused.

Jen glanced at him, her expression irritated. "What the hell do you think?" she asked. "Don't you feel like shit?"

"A little bit, yeah." Wyatt admitted. "Though I'm feeling a little better now, considering I puked a few minutes ago. Did we really get that drunk last night?"

"Apparently we did." Jen muttered as she slid off the bed. She stared at him for a moment, before bolting for the bathroom, her stomach reeling. Seconds later Wyatt heard the splatter of puke hitting the toilet, followed by Jen's anguished groan. Feeling sympathetic he moved to help her, finding her curled up on the bathroom floor.

"You are so right." he said. "We are never doing that again." He knelt beside her and gently lifted her from the floor. "Come on, let's go get some coffee. It'll help us feel better."

Jen nodded reluctantly and allowed Wyatt to guide her to the kitchen. Once they were there Wyatt set about making a pot of coffee, while Jen slumped against the counter watching him, her head spinning. Like Wyatt, Jen was confused about how they had made it back to Wyatt's place without killing themselves, given how drunk they had obviously been the night before. But before she could even begin to consider the possibilities Wyatt was pressing a hot cup of coffee into her hands and all other thoughts left her.

"Drink up." Wyatt muttered. "It's no Grind Me brew, but it should do the trick."

Jen smiled and took a sip of the coffee. Wyatt was right, it wasn't as good as the coffee from Grind Me, but it wasn't bad either. Not that she had expected it to be bad. No one Jen had ever met knew coffee as well as Wyatt did and she wasn't surprised at all that he was capable of making a good coffee. "So, do you remember how we got home last night?" she asked, after a moment of silence.

"I honestly have no idea." Wyatt answered. "The last thing I remember clearly before waking up was you, Nikki, Caitlin, Starr and the other girls showing up at the bar. After that, everything is kind of a blur."

"Damn, I was hoping you hadn't gotten that drunk." Jen said, trying to conceal the disappointment in her tone.

"Yeah, I wish I could remember myself, but it's all just a chaotic blur." Wyatt said. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine Wyatt." Jen said. "But we got back here somehow and one way or another I'll figure out how."

"I believe I can help with that." said a voice from the living room.

"What the hell?" Wyatt asked, glancing at Jen in surprise. "Who's in the living room?"

Jen shrugged and Wyatt moved to investigate, stopping short as he entered the living room, a gasp of surprise escaping his lips. There, sitting on his couch, smiling as though there was nothing odd about the situation, was his ex-girlfriend Marlowe.

"Marlowe?" Wyatt asked, perplexed. "What...what are you doing here? How did you get into my apartment?"

"You let me in, last night, after I brought you and Jen home." Marlowe answered, her tone calm and collected.

"You brought us home?" Jen asked, entering the room. "Wait, that means you were at the bar last night, so why didn't we see you?"

"I can be sneaky when I want to be." Marlowe answered, smiling.

"Never mind why we didn't see her last night." Wyatt snapped, glancing at Jen before turning his attention to Marlowe. "What I want to know is, when did she get back into town? More importantly, why did you come back? I thought you were gonna stay in Hawaii with that bastard Troy."

"I was, but we needed to get away for awhile." Marlowe answered. "Troy is...well, it's complicated. I'm not quite sure how to explain this to you, but we needed some place to go and I immediately thought of you."

"Even though you broke his heart?" Jen asked. "What's going on Marlowe? Why did you come back?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't feel comfortable discussing this in front of Jen." Marlowe said, glancing from Jen to Wyatt, a look of pleading in her eyes.

"No, anything you have to say you can say to both of us." Wyatt snapped.

"Please Wyatt, can't we just talk in private for a few minutes?" Marlowe asked, a note of pleading in her voice now.

Wyatt opened his mouth, but Jen beat him to the punch. "It's okay Wyatt." she said. "If Marlowe wants to talk in private I'll take my leave. I'll go see what the others are up to and I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay, if you say so." Wyatt said, obviously not happy with the situation.

Jen nodded and moved to get dressed before taking her leave, kissing Wyatt on the cheek on her way out. Once she was gone Wyatt turned towards Marlowe, anger blazing in his eyes. He took a deep breath to calm himself before speaking and then said, "Okay Marlowe, what is it that drove you to come back here?"

* * *

A short time later Jen arrived at Nikki and Jonesy's house, finding to her immense relief that the others were there as well. Taking a deep breath to calm herself she mounted the steps and rang the doorbell. Seconds later the door was wrenched open by a visibly irritated Jonesy, who stared at her with a look of utter annoyance.

"What the fuck do you want Jen?" he snapped, his tone just as irritated as his expression.

"Well, I can see someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Jen said, not the least bit intimidated by his gruff demeanor. "And what I want is to speak with you and Nikki. And the others, if their conscious."

Jonesy glared at her for a moment before stepping aside so she could enter. Jen thanked him and made her way to the living room where Nikki, Jude, Caitlin, and Starr were gathered, all of them looking more than a little hung over. Jen smiled at them, taking a seat by the fireplace, aware that they were all watching her.

"Jen, what are you doing here?" Caitlin asked, genuinely puzzled.

"I could ask you the same thing." Jen said, with an amused glance at the blond.

"We all came over here after the show last night." Caitlin replied. "We wanted to keep partying and we thought this was as good a place as any."

"I can see that." Jen said, glancing around the room. There were beer bottles laying everywhere and streamers and confetti strewn across the floor. It looked like a high school party had been held here and for a moment Jen wished she had been there. But she quickly pushed the thought aside, turning her attention back to the matter at hand. "So, if you all came here, why didn't Wyatt and I come with you?" she asked.

"You left the bar earlier than the rest of us." Nikki answered. "You said something about needing to do something private, as if we couldn't guess what that means."

Jen felt herself go cold with horror. Had she and Wyatt made love while Marlowe sat in the next room? No, that couldn't be the case. She'd remember if she'd had sex with Wyatt. No matter how drunk she had been she'd remember that, wouldn't she? Now that she thought about it she wasn't certain. She had been pretty drunk and so had Wyatt, so technically it was possible that they had had sex while Marlowe was there to hear them. Jen felt sick at that thought and for a moment she thought she was going to hurl, but she fought the feeling off, hoping no one had noticed her internal struggle.

"So did you do it bra?" Jude asked then, drawing Jen out of her reverie.

"Jude!" Starr exclaimed, shocked. "What the hell kind of question is that?"

"No, it's fine." Jen said. "The thing is, I can't remember. I can't even remember what happened last night."

"Well, you were pretty drunk." Nikki said, grinning. "Did the two of you at least make it home before you did whatever you did?"

"Yes and you'll never guess how." Jen answered, with a nervous glance at Nikki.

"I assumed you walked or something." Jonesy said. "It's not that hard to figure that out."

"Actually, we got a ride." Jen said. "That's what I wanted to talk to you all about."

"You got a ride?" Caitlin asked, confused again. "From who?"

"Well, that's the strange part." Jen answered. "We got a ride from Marlowe. Apparently she's back in town."

The reaction of the others to this statement was unlike anything Jen had ever seen. Jonesy choked on the coffee he'd been drinking, Caitlin yelped in surprise, and Nikki, Jude, and Starr simply stared in disbelief, all of them too shocked to speak. But what was most interesting about their reactions was how the mood of the entire room seemed to darken as they realized that Jen wasn't joking around. None of them were particularly fond of Marlowe for what she had done to Wyatt and to learn that she had not only come back to town, but that she was turning to Wyatt for help was more than any of them could take. Still, Jen wasn't about to let them do anything stupid and so they sat and waited to hear from Wyatt, hoping nothing bad happened in the meantime.

* * *

While Jen and the others were digesting Marlowe's return, Wyatt was still in the process of trying to figure out why she had come back in the first place. "So, let me get this straight." he said. "You came back here because Troy is in some kind of trouble on the island and you thought I'd be willing to help you?"

"That's correct." Marlowe answered, her tone strained as though she was trying very hard to control her emotions.

"And what, exactly, made you think I'd be willing to do something like that?" Wyatt asked.

"You are a compassionate man Wyatt." Marlowe answered. "I was hoping to appeal to that side of your nature."

"Oh really?" Wyatt asked. "Well, let me make this perfectly clear Marlowe, my compassionate nature died the day you broke my heart so you're wasting your fucking time."

"I don't believe that." Marlowe said, her voice still calm. "I saw you with Jen last night and I know for a fact that your compassion is alive and well. If it wasn't you wouldn't have opened yourself up to Jen like you have."

"Don't talk to me like you know me." Wyatt snapped. "You don't know a fucking thing about me and you're wasting your time."

"Again, you're wrong." Marlowe said, smiling now. "I know more about you than you think I do. And it is because of what I know that I think you'll do the right thing and help me."

"Keep dreaming." Wyatt muttered. "I won't help you Marlowe and nothing you say or do will convince me otherwise. Now please leave."

"Wyatt please." Marlowe said, true pleading in her tone now. "I wouldn't have come to you if I thought there was any other option. Troy's life is in danger and we need your help. Please, don't just cast us aside because of what we did to you."

Wyatt couldn't believe what he was hearing and for a moment he wanted to scream at her, to tell her that she wasn't worth the trouble, that Troy was a worthless piece of shit who deserved whatever was coming for him, but the look in her eyes stopped him. There was true, genuine pleading in her gaze and Wyatt felt his compassionate nature stirring to life within him. In then end he couldn't turn his back on her, no matter how badly she had hurt him in the past and he knew in his heart that he would help her, even if he didn't want to.

"Please Wyatt, do this for me and I promise I won't ask you for anything else ever again." Marlowe said, tears now glistening in her eyes.

"I...I'll think about it." Wyatt said. "That's all I can promise for now."

Marlowe stared at him for a moment, too shocked to speak. And then she found her voice again. "Thank you Wyatt." she whispered before turning and walking from his apartment.

Wyatt watched her go, an iron fist clenching his heart and then he turned and walked back to his bedroom without a backwards glance, knowing that he had likely just opened a can of worms he could never close again.

* * *

A short time later Jen and the others arrived at Wyatt's place, finding it silent and unwelcoming. "Wyatt, are you here?" Jen called as she entered the apartment.

A moment later Wyatt walked out from the bedroom, a look of sullen disgruntlement on his face. "Hey guys." he muttered, not meeting anyone's gaze.

"Is Marlowe still here?" Jen asked, her tone concerned.

"No, she left a little while ago." Wyatt answered, finally meeting her gaze.

"And, what did the bitch want?" Jonesy asked, his tone full of anger and disgust.

"Jonesy!" Nikki snapped. "Don't ask questions like that."

"No, it's fine." Wyatt said. "She said Troy is in some kind of danger and she wants my help with the situation. I don't know if I should believe her or not, but I feel like I should do something."

"Why though?" Jonesy asked. "You don't owe that bitch anything, not after what she did to you. Don't feel like obligated to help her out of guilt."

"Would you shut up." Jen snapped, glaring at Jonesy. "Wyatt can make his own decisions. He doesn't need your input, you asshat."

Jonesy looked like he wanted to say something else, but a sharp glance from Nikki kept him silent. Content that Jonesy wasn't going to interrupt again, Jen turned her attention back to Wyatt.

"What did you tell her?" she asked, her eyes boring into his.

"I told her I'd think about it." Wyatt said. "Though I'm not sure what I actually meant by that. I don't know, I kind of just want to be alone right now, if you don't mind."

"Okay, we'll give you some space." Jen said, smiling. "But don't dwell on this forever. You'll just end up hurting yourself."

Wyatt nodded and the others left, all of them knowing this issue was far from over. For better or worse Marlowe was back in their lives and they could all sense that they were headed down a new and very uncomfortable path. Where that path would lead, none of them knew, but Jen had a suspicion that the outcome wouldn't be pleasant.

**A/N: And so, the mystery begins. Sorry I didn't get this up sooner. I meant to post it last Friday but I didn't like the way it was going so I took some time for a rewrite. Anyway, Marlowe is back and she wants Wyatt's help with some business involving Troy. Will Wyatt help her and what will it mean for his relationship with Jen if he does? Keep reading to find out. By the way, in case you've forgotten who Troy is, he is the rock climbing instructor the Gang met in chapter 19 of APCH. For more information on him and how he and Marlowe came to be in a relationship please reread chapters 22 and 23 of APCH. Thanks.**


	8. An Unexpected Surprise

"Man, I can't believe Marlowe would do something like this." Jonesy said, his tone angry. "What the hell made her think she could just walk back into Wyatt's life and ask him for his help?"

"That's just the thing Jonesy." Nikki said. "I don't think Marlowe thought about this at all. If she had, she would have realized how stupid it was and wouldn't have come. At least I hope she would have realized that, but I could be wrong."

"Well, either way, she's back and we're just going to have to deal with it." Jen said. Her tone was calm, but it was obvious she was not happy and truthfully the others couldn't blame her. Marlowe had been Wyatt's girlfriend and she had broken his heart, so for her to walk back into their lives like this was a bold move on her part. It was also a move that was bound to make them all more than a little uncomfortable, though obviously Wyatt and Jen would bear the brunt of that burden.

The gang was gathered at Nikki and Jonesy's place at the moment, all of them except Wyatt who just wanted to be alone. It had been more than an hour since they had left Wyatt's place and they had spent the entire time discussing Marlowe's sudden return. The entire group seemed to be in agreement about their dislike of this situation, though some of them were more vehement in their views than others. Jen, Nikki, Jonesy, and Caitlin were greatly angered by Marlowe's return and they wanted nothing to do with her. Jude and Starr on the other hand were at least willing to give Marlowe a chance to explain herself before passing judgment. And yet, at that moment it was Jen who was acting as the voice of reason in the discussion.

"How can you say something like that?" Jonesy asked, staring at Jen in disbelief. "Wyatt is your boyfriend now and you're saying we should give Marlowe a chance? I don't get it."

"As usual Jonesy, you misunderstand me." Jen said, her tone still calm. "I am not saying we should give her a chance. What I'm saying is, she's back and one way or another we're going to have to deal with it. We can't make her leave, after all."

"Or can we?" Jonesy asked, with an evil grin.

"No Jonesy, we can't." Nikki said, shaking her head. "As much as Marlowe's return pisses me off, we can't force her to leave. And we certainly can't do whatever fucked up stuff you were just thinking of doing."

"How do you know what I was thinking?" Jonesy asked, feigning hurt.

"Because I know you." Nikki answered. "You were thinking we could do something to make her disappear and that's just not right, no matter how much we may dislike her."

"Alright, I see your point." Jonesy muttered. "I was only joking, you know?"

"Yeah, well, it wasn't a very funny joke." Jen muttered. "And Nikki is right, we can't force Marlowe to leave. Like it or not she and Troy have every right to be here and we just have to accept that, even if we don't want to."

"But what about Wyatt?" Caitlin asked. "Are we really going to let him help her?"

"Wyatt is an adult Cait." Jen answered. "We can't control him, any more than we can control each other. I don't want Wyatt to do something that may lead to him getting hurt, but if that's the choice he makes, I will support him. What the rest of you do is your decision."

"Well I, for one, will support whatever decision Wyatt makes." Starr said. Jude nodded in agreement and Jen smiled.

"Thank you. Both of you." she said, her smile radiating her sincerity.

"No problem bra." Jude said, grinning. "It sucks that Wyatt has to face his past like this, but I think it's his decision in the end and we, as his friends, should support him no matter what."

"Fine." Jonesy said, sighing. "I'll support whatever decision he makes as well. But I still think Marlowe is a spiteful bitch for forcing herself back into his life like this."

"We can all agree on that." Nikki said. "But I will also support whatever decision Wyatt makes, even if it's a painful one."

"Well, I don't want to be the odd duck out, so I guess I'm in as well." Caitlin said, though it was obvious that she didn't want to do this. And she wasn't the only one. Jonesy and Nikki both seemed reluctant as well, though they would all follow Jen's lead for now. Jen was right after all, Wyatt was an adult and the decision of how to proceed with Marlowe was ultimately his.

"Thank you, all of you." Jen said, smiling at each of them in turn. "Now, let's drop this topic of conversation and focus on something else, like Jude and Starr's wedding plans."

"Okay, but I think you should go to Wyatt." Nikki said. "I know he said he wants to be alone, but he could use someone to talk to at the moment and there is no one better for him to talk to than you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Jen said, though she seemed hesitant. "Okay, I'll go see him. Talk to you guys later, okay?"

"Yeah, you know where to find us." Nikki said, smiling.

With that Jen took her leave and the others turned their attention to other matters, all of them wondering how long it would take Wyatt to make his decision.

* * *

Two days later Wyatt had still not made a decision regarding Marlowe, but Nikki was no longer worrying about Wyatt's issues. Not that she wasn't sympathetic, it was just that she had issues of her own to deal with. The news that she couldn't get pregnant had hit her hard and she was still struggling to get over it. But over the last twenty four hours or so she had begun to wonder if that assessment was entirely accurate. She was feeling different, as though something had changed within her, though she could not figure out what.

This new feeling had actually started two days earlier, around the time Jen had left to be with Wyatt, and at first Nikki had thought little of it. But now she was starting to get worried that something was wrong with her. Nikki had never been the kind of person who got overly paranoid about things, but this feeling was unlike anything she had ever felt before and it brought all sorts of horrible thoughts to the surface of her mind. She wondered if the stress and depression of finding out that she couldn't get pregnant had made her ill. She had never heard of that sort of thing happening before, but she supposed it was possible. Then again, Nikki was no expert in medicine and she could simply be imagining things. Still, she could not shake the feeling that something was wrong with her and she would not be satisfied until she knew for sure.

She wished she had someone to talk to about this feeling, but all of her friends were busy at the moment. Wyatt was still dealing with the question of whether or not he should help Marlowe and Jen was steadfastly supporting him in that endeavor. Jude and Starr were making plans for their wedding and Caitlin was busy helping them. And Jonesy was off planning what he called "the second party to celebrate Jude and Starr's wedding." Nikki had no idea what that meant, as they had already held the bachelor and bachelorette parties, but knowing Jonesy as she did she assumed this party was Jonesy's final effort to give Jude and Starr a great party before they were married. So, with all of her friends busy, Nikki was forced to face her fears on her own. She supposed she could pull Jonesy aside from whatever it was that he was planning, but she didn't feel like intruding if she didn't have to. And the more she thought about it the more she realized that she didn't need to intrude on anyone else. She could figure this out on her own, even if she was terrified of what she might find.

And so Nikki set about trying to find a plausible explanation for what she was feeling. But after several hours of searching she had found nothing, much to her dismay. And then it occurred to her that maybe this feeling wasn't a sign of some horrible disease. Perhaps the answer was something much simpler and more logical than that. Perhaps this feeling was nothing more than a sign that something was happening inside her, something she had been wanting and had thought she could never have. It had been awhile since she'd had her last period and she was now forced to wonder if the supposedly impossible had just become a reality.

With excitement flowing through her like liquid fire Nikki grabbed her phone and quickly dialed Jonesy's number. Jonesy answered on the third ring, his tone irritated. "What?" he asked. "Who is this? What do you want?"

Feeling a twinge of anger that he hadn't recognized her number, Nikki took a deep breath and spoke. "Jonesy, it's me." she said. "Can you come home please?"

"Nikki?" he asked, his voice cracking over the line. "I'm a little busy at the moment."

"I know you are, but this is important." Nikki said. "So, could you please come home now? We really need to talk."

Jonesy sighed, obviously not wanting to come home. "Okay, I'll come." he said. "See you in a few." With that he hung up and Nikki was left to wait for him to get home, hoping that her news would lighten his mood.

Several minutes later Jonesy walked into the house. He was scowling and looked like he would rather be anywhere else, which was not something that usually happened when it came to Nikki. But it was obvious to her that she had interrupted him in the middle of something important and he was not going to be swayed easily.

"So, what is it that's so important that you had to speak to me now?" Jonesy asked, his gaze boring into Nikki's.

"I...Jonesy, I'm late." Nikki said, not quite sure how to break the news to him.

"What?" he asked, perplexed. "No you're not. You were here before I was."

Nikki rolled her eyes, amused by his lack of understanding. "No, Jonesy, I'm late." she said again. "As in it's that time when I usually start acting crazy, but I haven't yet. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Jonesy stared at her with a dumbfounded look on his face for a moment and then the light of understanding dawned in his eyes. "Oh." he said, all anger now gone. "Oh my God. Nikki...does this mean what I think it does? Are...are you...pregnant?"

"I don't know for sure." Nikki answered. "But that's usually what this means, isn't it?"

"How would I know something like that?" Jonesy asked. "I don't even understand how the simplest parts of this process work, so why would you assume I'd know that part?"

"I don't know Jonesy." Nikki answered. "Sometimes I feel like giving you the benefit of the doubt. But then I remember that you've never been the sharpest tool in the shed. No offense."

"None taken." he said, grinning. "So, how do we know for sure?"

"Well, I was just about to go test that actually." Nikki said, smiling as she moved towards the bathroom, though her stomach was clenched in a tight fist of fear.

Once she was in the bathroom Nikki grabbed one of the pregnancy tests she had purchased weeks earlier before sitting on the toilet, her whole body shaking. She held the stick between her legs and silently prayed that this worked. If this was another false alarm she wasn't sure she would be able to cope with the disappointment. After a moment or two to make sure that she was done Nikki removed the stick from between her legs and stared at it, waiting for the test to work. It seemed to take an eternity, but finally the little pink plus sign appeared and Nikki felt herself exhale a breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding in. And then she felt the tears begin to roll down her cheeks as the realization washed over her. She was pregnant. The doctors had been wrong and she was pregnant. And with that realization came the lifting of the weight she had carried since her first meeting with Dr. Hull.

"Nikki?" Jonesy's voice asked from just outside the bathroom. "Nikki, is everything okay?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Yes, Jonesy, everything is great." she said. "I'm pregnant. We did it. I don't know how, but we did it."

Jonesy was stunned and for a moment he could do nothing but stare at his wife. And then he bolted into the room and pulled her into a ferocious hug that crushed the air from her lungs. "Oh Nikki, I am so happy right now." he said and she felt his tears on her neck. "We did it, babe. We did it. We're gonna be parents."

"Yes." Nikki said. "Though we should make another appointment with Dr. Hull just to be safe. We don't want to just assume that I'm pregnant, because those tests can be unreliable."

Jonesy nodded and pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing Dr. Hull's number with frantic speed. Moments later, he hung up the phone, the appointment made for the next day, and turned to Nikki, grinning as he basked in the glow of her happiness.

* * *

The next morning Nikki and Jonesy made their way to Dr. Hull's clinic for the second time. They were both visibly nervous as they signed in, though Nikki felt less nervous than she had the last time she had been here. Still, it was obvious that they both feared what Dr. Hull might tell them, and Nikki couldn't help thinking that somehow Dr. Hull would refute the results of the test. By the time they were called Nikki had begun shaking and Jonesy looked like he was going to be sick, but they somehow managed to pull themselves together before Dr. Hull entered the examination room.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise." she said, smiling at them. "I must say, I didn't expect to see you here again after the news I gave you last time."

"Well, sometimes the unexpected happens." Nikki said, also smiling. "I missed my period and I was curious to find out what that meant."

"It may have meant nothing." Dr. Hull answered. "However, it could mean something, so we'll do some tests to be certain. I assume you took a pregnancy test at home?"

"Yes, I did. Last night." Nikki answered. "It was positive, but I know those tests can be unreliable, which is why we made the appointment."

"I see." Dr. Hull said, nodding. "Well, let's get to those tests and find out what's going on down there, shall we?"

Nikki nodded and Dr. Hull set to work drawing blood and taking several other samples, including urine, which sent away for testing. "It shouldn't take that long for the tests." she said. "So, why don't you two wait here and I'll go see how they're doing." She smiled and took her leave, leaving Nikki and Jonesy to wait in silence.

As they waited Nikki's mind wandered. Dr. Hull had seemed rather surprised to see them again and she wondered if that was because Dr. Hull was unwavering in her certainty that Nikki couldn't get pregnant. Nikki got the feeling that Dr. Hull had only seen them today to humor them and that she didn't really believe that Nikki was pregnant. This could just be Nikki's imagination, but she wondered how seriously Dr. Hull believed her claim.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Dr. Hull returned, a smile on her face. "Well, this is an unexpected surprise." she said. "A truly unexpected surprise."

"What does that mean?" Jonesy asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"It means that your wife is indeed pregnant, Mr. Garcia." Dr. Hull answered. "It seems I was wrong, though never have I been more delighted to have my assumptions proven false."

"You're serious?" Nikki asked. "I'm pregnant?" She looked at Dr. Hull with a look of expectancy, her pulse pounding in her ears.

"Yes, I am serious." Dr. Hull answered. "You are most definitely pregnant Nikki. Congratulations." She smiled again, obviously relieved that she had been wrong about Nikki's ability to get pregnant.

Nikki sat in stunned silence for a moment and then Jonesy scooped her up in his arms, both of them sobbing with delight. It was true, it was all true. Nikki was pregnant and they were going to be parents. After so much disappointment it felt like the weight of the world had just been lifted off their shoulders and Nikki never wanted this feeling to end. After thanking Dr. Hull, she and Jonesy made their way home, Jonesy calling the others along the way.

* * *

An hour later the gang was gathered at Nikki and Jonesy's house again, though the others seemed to be confused as to why they were there. It seemed Jonesy had forgotten to tell them why he and Nikki wanted to meet with everyone. And everyone was indeed there, for Jonesy had not just called Jen, Wyatt, Caitlin, Jude, and Starr. He has also called Ron, Coach Halder, Darth and Julie, Wayne, the Clones, his brothers, Nikki's parents, his father, and Jen's mother, who was now his stepmother.

"Well, we're all here." Wayne said. "What's so important that we all had to be here?"

"Nikki and I have something to tell you." Jonesy said, positively beaming.

"Okay, so spill the beans already bro." Jude said. "What is it that you want to tell us?"

"I'm pregnant." Nikki answered, grinning at the looks of shock that passed over the faces of the people gathered in her living room.

"But I thought you couldn't get pregnant." Caitlin said, confused. "Not that I'm not happy you are, I'm just a little confused is all."

"It's okay Cait." Nikki said. "I'm a little confused as well. All I know for sure is that I'm pregnant and that's good enough for me. I'll figure out the hows and whys later."

"Well, whatever the reason, congratulations." Ron said, with a rare smile.

"Yeah, congrats bra." Jude said. "You too dude." He glanced at Jonesy and grinned, Jonesy returning the gesture as the others gave their congratulations as well, all of them taking joy in Nikki and Jonesy's unexpected surprise.

**A/N: And there you go, it turns out Nikki actually can get pregnant. I am sorry about the delay, by the way. I meant to post this last week but my internet was being uncooperative, so I couldn't log in, sorry. Anyway, Nikki is now pregnant and Wyatt's decision about Marlowe will be revealed in the next chapter. Also, I am a man and I do not know a whole lot about pregnancy and all that so some of that stuff may be a bit inaccurate. I am sorry for that, but I don't do research before I write. If you see something on that topic that is inaccurate, please let me know and I'll correct it, as long as it doesn't require a major re-write. Thanks.**


	9. Preparations

The positive news of Nikki's pregnancy had lit a new fire in the gang, but there was still one other issue that hung over them like a dark cloud, dampening their spirits ever so slightly. That issue was Wyatt's decision regarding Marlowe and it seemed to be an issue he was having great difficulty dealing with. Wyatt still hadn't made a decision yet and the others were beginning to wonder if he had it in him to tell Marlowe no. Jen, in particular, was beginning to get worried about the toll this decision was taking on Wyatt's psyche. She had tried talking to him about it, but whenever she brought up the subject he would get quiet and ignore her, as though just talking about Marlowe was painful for him. It wasn't that surprising that Wyatt was struggling with his decision, Marlowe had been his girlfriend after all. But Jen hated seeing him in so much pain and she found herself wishing Marlowe would just disappear and leave Wyatt in peace.

For their part Jonesy, Nikki, Jude, Caitlin, and Starr seemed content to give Wyatt his space while he struggled with his decision. There were other issues that held their attention and it was these issues they chose to focus on. Chief among these issues was Jude and Starr's impending wedding, which was now just over a week away. There were still a number of things to do to prepare for the wedding and everyone was pitching in to do their part. Even Wayne and Ron had taken time off work to help with the preparations, though even with all the help Starr was beginning to feel overwhelmed. It didn't help that Jude was taking his usual laid back approach to the whole situation and Jen was too consumed with helping Wyatt to help. Not that Starr could blame her, Wyatt was in a difficult position after all, but it would have been nice to have both of them helping out.

"I'm not sure I can do this." Starr said, three days after Nikki's announcement, finally overcome by her frustration.

"What are you talking about babe?" Jude asked. "What can't you do?"

"This!" Starr snapped, gesturing around at all the wedding stuff that was piled around them. "I'm not sure I can do this."

Jude stared at her for a moment, his head cocked to the side, an expression of mild confusion on his face. "Are you saying you don't want to get married?" he finally asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"No, that's not what I'm saying." Starr answered, meeting his worried gaze with one of steady confidence. "I'm just saying that I'm not sure I can take all this planning any more."

"I see." Jude said, nodding. "So, what do you think we should be doing then? Cuz weddings take planning, you know?"

"I know." Starr said. "It's just...why does it have to be so overwhelming? If I had known it would take this much preparation I would have said we should have just held a simple ceremony instead of this giant extravaganza we have going now."

"You have to stop focusing on the big picture and just take things one at a time." Jude said. "The only reason this is so overwhelming is because you're allowing it to be that way. Instead of worrying about everything at once, try focusing on one task at a time. That's what I've been doing."

Starr stared at him for a moment, temporarily shocked by his startling wisdom. He was right, of course. She was only overwhelmed because she had been trying to do too many things at once. She should have realized that was the cause of her frustration. In all the years she had known Jude, one of the most important lessons she had learned from him was to not let yourself become consumed by too many things. Jude was a mellow dude and it was because of his ability to ignore the problems of the world that he was able to maintain such a calm demeanor. Jude only ever focused on what made him happy and had an uncanny ability to shrug off criticism and whatever other negative feelings so often seemed to drag everyone else down. And Starr realized then that the only way she would make it to their wedding day was to adopt that same mindset. She had been a fairly calm person as well, at least before all the wedding plans had begun, and she had to find a way to get back to that mindset before the chaos consumed her.

"You're right." she said, smiling at Jude as she spoke. "I have been allowing this all to overwhelm me and I have to stop. Everything will be fine, we just have to concentrate on one task at a time. Though it would be easier if we had Jen and Wyatt to help us."

"I can call them." Jude said. "If you really think we need the help, I can call them."

"No, don't bother them." Starr said. "Wyatt is still trying to decide if he should help Marlowe or not and Jen is trying to help him. They don't need us adding to their stress."

"Then why did you mention them?" Jude asked, confused.

"I was just musing is all." Starr answered, amused by his lack of understanding.

"Okay, but if you change you're mind and decide you want me to call them, I'll do it." Jude said, with a bright smile that made Starr's heart flutter.

"I know you will." she said, leaning in to kiss him, all of her worries now forgotten.

* * *

The next morning Jude and Starr made their way over to Nikki and Jonesy's house where the others were waiting for a final planning session before the wedding preparations kicked into high gear. There were still a number of things to do, including place settings, catering, and a location for the reception. They had been granted permission to hold the wedding at Skate City, but they had to hold the reception somewhere else and they had yet to figure out where. Caitlin had suggested holding the reception at Grind Me, but that idea had quickly been shot down, as no one wanted to use the coffee shop again. That still left them with a location to find and only four days to do it. But Starr was no longer worried. Her talk with Jude the previous day had calmed her nerves greatly and the sight of all of her friends gathered at Nikki and Jonesy's place only helped to calm her even further. She was surprised to see that Jen and Wyatt were there however, and for a moment she wondered if Jude had called them, until Wyatt put her questions to rest.

"Okay, so, we're here." he said, glancing around the room. "I know you're all worried about me, but I'm here to say that I'm fine."

"Have you made a decision about Marlowe yet?" Jonesy asked, his tone curious.

"Jonesy!" Nikki cried. "Don't ask him about that. It's none of your business if he's made a decision or not."

"It's okay Nik." Wyatt said, smiling. "There's no need to bite Jonesy's head off. And to answer your question Jonesy, yes, I have made a decision."

"And, what did you decide?" Jonesy asked, now positively bursting with curiosity.

"I am not going to help her." Wyatt answered, not quite meeting Jonesy's gaze. "Whatever issues she and Troy are dealing with, they'll have to deal with them on their own. I want nothing to do with their problems."

"I knew it." Jonesy cried, clapping Wyatt on the back. "I knew you'd make the right decision and choose not to help that traitor." He grinned, seemingly oblivious to Wyatt's discomfort.

"Jonesy, shut up." Jen snapped. "Stop acting like this is some great victory for Wyatt or something. Because it's not. It was a very difficult decision for him to make and it hurt him to make it, so don't act like this is something to celebrate."

"Jeez, what the fuck is your problem?" Jonesy asked, obviously taken aback by Jen's tone.

Jen stared at him in disbelief for a moment, before gesturing at Wyatt, who looked like he was fighting back tears. Jonesy paled, obviously shocked by Wyatt's expression.

"Ah shit Wyatt, I'm sorry." he said. "I forgot that this might be hard for you. I didn't mean to act like such an ass."

"It's fine Jonesy." Wyatt said, his tone sullen. "I'm not mad at you. It's perfectly understandable that you'd react as you did. I don't blame you. In fact, I'm kind of glad you reacted the way you did."

"You are?" Jonesy asked, confused.

"Yeah." Wyatt answered. "At least this way there are no illusions about how any of us feel, which is better than the alternative."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Jonesy said, though he still seemed ashamed of his reaction.

"Have you told Marlowe yet?" Caitlin asked, glancing at Wyatt.

"No." Wyatt replied. "I'm not quite sure how I'm gonna do it yet, you know?"

"Yeah, we know." Starr said. "Take as much time as you need Wyatt. We'll all be there for you if you need us."

"Thank you." Wyatt said. "But I'll deal with that later. Right now we need to focus on you and Jude. This wedding isn't going to prepare itself."

Starr nodded and together the gang set about making the final preparations for Jude and Starr's wedding.

* * *

Over the next two days everything began to fall into place. The various tasks were divided up and different groups were assigned to tackle them. Jonesy, Jude, Wayne, Diego, Robbie, and Coach Halder were given the task of preparing Skate City for the ceremony. Caitlin, Starr, Julie, and Darth were given the task of getting the dresses and tuxedos ordered and ready. And Jen, Wyatt, Nikki, and Ron were given the task of finding a location for the reception, as well as getting whatever location they found ready for the reception. It took them more than a day, but they finally found an available space at the local country club. It wasn't the ideal location for the reception, but it was better than any of the other places they'd found and time was running out so they took it.

At that moment, three days after Wyatt's announcement, they were all gathered at the country club. The guys had finished their work at Skate City earlier that day and had come by to lend a hand. Caitlin, Starr, Julie, and Darth had come by a short time later, their work finished as well. Only Jonesy was absent from the group, though no one seemed to know where he was. It didn't really matter though, as they now had more than enough people to finish setting up and decorating for the reception.

"Man, where the hell is Jonesy?" Wayne asked, his tone irritated.

"I don't know where he is." Nikki answered. "Why does it matter anyway? We have enough people to finish what we're doing here."

"Wow, that's a nice thing to say about your husband." Diego said, his tone sarcastic.

"Shut up." Nikki muttered. "I'm sure that wherever Jonesy is he's doing something important, so why don't we stop jabbering like idiots and get back to work."

"You know what he's doing, don't you?" Caitlin asked, glancing at Nikki.

"I'm not saying another word on the subject." Nikki said, with a sly grin.

"Oh yeah, she knows something." Jen said, laughing. "Come on Nikki, tell us what you know. We promise we won't tell Jonesy."

Before Nikki could answer however, the doors flew open and Marlowe entered, followed by Troy, who looked more than a little uncomfortable. The fun, joking tone of the room changed immediately, the entire room falling silent with shock and disgust. No one moved or spoke and for a moment it seemed as though time had stopped, and then Wyatt's voice cut through the silence, harsh and cold to the ears of everyone in the room.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" he asked, his glare fixed on Marlowe and Troy.

"We came to help." Marlowe answered, seemingly unfazed by Wyatt's harsh tone.

"We don't need your help." Wyatt snapped. "So why don't you just turn around and walk your cheating ass out of here."

"Come on Wyatt, don't be like that." Troy said. "Marlowe and I are trying here. I understand that we hurt you, but you don't have to be an ass about it."

"Oh, you understand do you?" Wyatt shouted, his temper rising. "No, you don't understand a damn thing. What you did me was more than simply breaking my heart and I will never forgive either of you. Now get the fuck out. I never want to see either of you ever again."

"Does that mean you won't help us?" Marlowe asked, her tone full of sorrow.

"Yes, it does." Wyatt answered. "I will never help you. Now, please leave before I'm forced to do something I regret." Though Wyatt's angry expression hadn't changed there was something in his tone that made Marlowe pause before she and Troy left.

Seconds later Jonesy entered the room, a confused expression on his face. "Was that Marlowe and Troy I saw on my way in here?" he asked. "Wait, never mind. I don't care. How would you all like to know where I've been?"

His excited tone and ignorance of what had just transpired served to break the tension in the room and Jen glanced at her stepbrother with a curious expression.

"Okay, so, where have you been?" she asked, not quite certain she wanted to know.

"I have been planning a great big party to celebrate Jude and Starr's wedding." Jonesy answered. "It's scheduled for tomorrow night and I expect you all to be there."

"But we already had the parties, didn't we?" Caitlin asked, confused.

"Yes, but this is different." said Jonesy. "This is my gift to Jude and Starr, and it's going to blow you all away."

"Well, that sounds like a plan to me, bro." said Jude, obviously excited by the prospect of another party.

Jonesy nodded, glad that Jude had taken a liking to his idea, and turned his attention to the others. For a moment they were all silent, all of them too shocked to know quite how to respond. And then, finally, they began to nod in agreement, one by one, all of them wondering just what kind of party Jonesy had planned.

**A/N: And that's that. You now know what Wyatt's answer for Marlowe is and you know what Jonesy was planning. As for whether or not things play out that way, well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out. Oh, and just so you know, the next chapter begins the tragedy that is mentioned in the summary, so prepare yourselves for that.**


	10. Hit and Run

Jude sat alone in his room waiting for Starr to finish getting ready, every fiber of his being twitching with nervous energy. It was the day before their wedding and Jude could barely contain his excitement. Roughly fifteen hours had passed since Jonesy had revealed his plan to throw Jude and Starr one last party and the level of anticipation amongst his friends had grown steadily in that time. Jude knew that the others were just as excited as he was even if they hadn't seemed to be when Jonesy had first revealed his plan. In fact, Jude hadn't been this excited since Jonesy and Nikki had gotten married and he couldn't wait to see what surprises Jonesy had in store for them all. The party was scheduled to begin in a little over an hour, but Jonesy had told Jude and Starr to get there early and Jude was beginning to wonder if they'd make it. Starr was taking longer than usual to get ready and Jude was getting worried that something had happened to change her mind.

"Starr?" he asked, nervously approaching the bathroom. "You ready babe?"

For a moment only silence greeted him and then Starr poked her head out. "Almost." she said, her tone strained. "Just give me another minute or two, okay?"

"You alright bra?" Jude asked, his tone now concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Starr answered. "I'm just having a little difficulty is all."

"Difficulty with what?" Jude asked, his tone still nervous and concerned.

"Getting my damn dress on." Starr snapped, the sudden shift in her tone making Jude jump.

"Your dress?" he asked, confused. "Are you wearing your wedding dress to the party?"

"No, of course not." Starr answered. "If I was I wouldn't be having this much trouble getting ready."

"Maybe I can help." Jude said, taking a step towards the bathroom as he spoke.

"No, don't come in-" Starr began, but her sentence was cut off by Jude's sudden appearance in the doorway. "Here." Starr finished with an irritated glance at her soon to be husband. Her irritation didn't last long however, as the look on Jude's face made her forget about all her problems.

Jude was looking at her with a mixture of affection, concern, and shock and Starr couldn't really blame him. She was standing in the middle of the bathroom, half concealed by a beautiful, flowing green dress that half hung from her shoulders, exposing one of her breasts. Her hair was a tangled, sweaty mess; strands plastered to her forehead by the moisture. And her jewelry was piled on the counter, looking like it had been unceremoniously dumped there in a moment of extreme annoyance. She glanced at Jude and gave him a sheepish smile. "Okay, so maybe I'm not quite ready." she said. "And I know, I look like hell."

"No, you look beautiful." Jude said, his tone soft and comforting. "You always look beautiful and nothing will ever change that."

"Yeah, well, unfortunately I can't go to the party looking like this." Starr muttered.

Jude nodded and pulled out his phone. "I'll call Cait and Jen and get them over here to help you out." he said while flipping through his contacts for Jen's number.

"Thank you." Starr whispered as Jude made the call, his endless kindness making her smile.

* * *

A short time later Caitlin and Jen arrived and helped Starr finish getting ready. Jude let them work, realizing that his presence would only slow them down. While he waited he thought about the wedding and how it would change everything. Not that the changes would be bad, just that they would be. It made him smile knowing that by this time tomorrow he and Starr would be married. They would be one for the rest of their lives, joined in a perfect union just like Jonesy and Nikki. It was something Jude had wanted for years now, but hadn't realized until after Jonesy and Nikki had gotten hitched. And now it was just hours away and Jude had never felt happier in his life.

At that moment Starr emerged from the bathroom, Jen and Caitlin following her. Jude felt his breath catch in his throat and for a moment he almost forgot to breath. Starr was stunning. He had never seen her so beautiful. The green of her dress was perfectly accented by her red hair and the brilliant blue pendent she wore around her neck made the blue of her eyes pop. She seemed to be radiating light, though Jude wasn't sure if that was real or just his imagination playing tricks on him. Either way he didn't care. All that mattered was Starr's beauty and if he'd be able to capture this vision of her and keep it in his memory forever.

"Wow." he whispered, his voice horse. "You...you look...stunning. Yeah, that's the word, stunning."

"Thank you Jude." Starr said with an embarrassed smile. "But I wouldn't have been able to pull it off without Caitlin and Jen's help."

"You give yourself too little credit." Caitlin said, smiling. "You'd have found a way to look stunning even if Jude hadn't called us."

"Still, I'm glad he did." Starr said. "Thank you, both of you."

"It was out pleasure." Jen said, grinning. "Now, let's get going or you two are going to be late. And we can't have that."

Starr nodded and seconds later she, Jude, Jen, and Caitlin were on their way to the party. The location was secret, but Jen had figured it out, so it was she who took the lead. They arrived a short time later to find Jonesy, Nikki, and Wyatt waiting for them, Jonesy looking more than a little annoyed.

"Where the hell have you guys been?" he demanded. "You were supposed to be here half an hour ago."

"Sorry, I had a little trouble with my wardrobe." Starr said, with an apologetic glance at Jonesy. "But we're here now, so let's do this thing."

Jonesy looked like he wanted to shout some more, but a stern glance from Nikki made him reconsider and he simply said, "Alright, let's head inside. Prepare to be amazed."

* * *

And amazed they were. Jonesy had chosen to hold the party at one of the most exclusive clubs in town and as soon as they entered, Jude and Starr knew that this was going to be a party like no other they had ever attended. The interior of the club was decorated with thousands of twinkling lights that made it seem like there were thousands of fireflies dancing in the air. The lights were accented by hundreds of brightly colored streamers and banners that hung from the ceiling, some dangling all the way down to the floor. At least six long tables had been arranged in the middle of the room and on each table sat large bowls that contained the most beautiful water lilies Starr had ever seen. And inside each lily was a scented candle, their tiny flames flickering amongst the twinkling lights. To one side of the room stood a stage stacked high with amps and instruments, including a drum kit that bore the logo of a band called Vanisher, a sight that made Jude's jaw drop. Beside the stage sat a massive air canon, though Starr could only imagine what it would be used for. And to top it all off the air was filled with the scent of the most delicious food any of them had ever seen or smelled.

"So, what do you guys think?" Jonesy asked, glancing at Jude and Starr. "Pretty cool huh?"

"Yeah, it's amazing." Starr said, her tone one of awe.

"How?" Jude asked. "How did you pull this all off dude?"

"I have my ways." Jonesy said, his tone cryptic.

"Did you really get Vanisher to play here tonight?" Jude asked, still in shock.

"Yep." Jonesy answered, grinning at his friend's utter loss of words. "I knew you'd like that little extra touch."

"Little extra touch?" Jude asked, dumbfounded. "Are you fucking kidding? Vanisher are only the best electro-punk band in the world. This isn't simply a little touch dude, this is huge and I will be thanking you for this for the rest of my life."

Jonesy just grinned again before leading Jude and Starr over to the tables, where Jen, Wyatt, Nikki, and Caitlin were already seated. It was then that Jude noticed they weren't the only ones there. Wayne, Ron, Coach Halder, Darth, Julie, Diego, Robbie, the Clones, Courtney, and their parents were all gathered at the tables as well. There were also some two hundred other people there, mostly people they knew from the mall, whom Jonesy must have invited just to make the party that much more extravagant.

Once Jude and Starr were seated Jonesy raised a glass in a toast and spoke, his voice echoing in the silent club. "Well, here we are." he said. "The joining of Jude and Starr is finally upon us. In less than twenty four hours Jude and Starr will cease to be two separate individuals and will become something that is so much better. I'm speaking from experience here. Marriage isn't the horrible prison that so many movies make it out to be. Marriage is a beautiful, wonderful thing and it makes me so happy to know that Jude and Starr are about to embark on that journey and join those of us who already have. Jude has been my best friend since forever and I knew from the moment he met Starr that they were meant to be together. So, before we get to partying I'd like you all to join me in a toast to their future, because they deserve it. To Jude and Starr, may they complete each other for the rest of eternity."

"To Jude and Starr." the crowed echoed, the thunderous chorus of voices bringing smiles to Jude and Starr's faces.

"Thank you, all of you." Jude said. "I have wanted this ever since I first laid eyes on this beautiful woman beside me and I am extremely grateful to be able to share this joyous moment with all of you who have helped make me who I am today."

"I too am grateful." Starr said. "This is what life is all about, love, happiness, and having fun and I can't think of anyone better to share it with than all of you."

With the speeches finished the first course of the dinner was served and for the next hour or so the entire group ate and talked, many of them sharing stories of Jude and Starr's relationship and the many crazy twists and turns it had taken over the years. Among these twists was the time Starr had gone goth, which had prompted Jude to follow suit so they could still be together, a story which Jonesy still found funny, much to Starr's annoyance.

Finally, after over an hour of eating Vanisher took the stage, their muscular, heavily tattooed singer Nate stepping up to the microphone with a grin on his face. "Hello people." he bellowed, his deep voice echoing throughout the club. "Can we get the happy couple out on the dance floor please?"

Grinning, Jude and Starr made their way onto the floor and Vanisher launched into the first song of their set, a slow dirge that allowed Jude and Starr to circle the dance floor in each others arms. And then the band kicked things into high gear, launching into one of their more well known songs, which got everyone else out onto the floor.

The next several hours were a blur of color and sound that swallowed Jude and Starr alive, along with everyone else, all of them moving to the driving beats of Vanisher's songs. Jude wouldn't remember much of the party later on, but in the moment he was intensely aware of just how happy he was. He was aware of Starr's body pressed up against his and the sound of the music. He was aware of Jonesy's drunken laughter and Jen's sequels of pleasure as she and Wyatt made out in the corner. And he was aware of a sudden sense of dread that had awoken within him sometime earlier in the night, though he had no idea where the feeling was coming from and he ultimately succeeded in ignoring it, all the other sensations pushing it from his mind. At some point he was also aware of the canon going off, a thunderous boom that showered them all with confetti, but this too became just another part of the magnificent blur that was this final party.

* * *

Hours later, as the party wound to a close, Jude stepped outside for some fresh air. A short time later the others joined him, all of them still flushed with the excitement and euphoria of the party. Jonesy glanced at Jude and grinned then, obviously still pleased with himself for pulling this party off.

"So, what now dude?" Jonesy asked, clapping Jude on the back as he spoke.

"Now we get ready for the wedding itself." Jude said, his tone serious.

"Does that mean we can't party anymore?" Jonesy asked, looking crestfallen at the prospect. "Cuz I still want to party."

"So do I babe." Starr said, glancing at Jude with a wicked grin as she stepped out into the street, oblivious to her surroundings.

It was at that moment that Jonesy noticed the car speeding towards them and realized that Starr was right in its path. "Starr, look out!" he shouted, his voice making her turn.

As she turned Starr saw the car, but it was too late. The car slammed into her with tremendous force sending her flying into the air. Starr bounced off the car's hood, her head smashing into the windshield with a sickening crack and then she hit the pavement, her body flopping like a rag doll. The car sped off before anyone could stop it and Jude rushed into the street, dropping to his knees beside Starr's broken body.

"Starr." he said, his voice strained. "Starr, speak to me babe, please." He could see the blood pooling beneath her and knew she was hurt badly, but he couldn't bare to look away. "Starr, please talk to me."

"Oh shit." Jonesy said, his voice distant to Jude's ears. "Someone call 911."

Jude didn't turn to see if anyone was making the call. All of his attention was focused on Starr and for a moment he felt the horrible sensation that the sense of dread he had felt earlier had been trying to warn him about this. At that moment Starr twitched and opened her eyes, drawing Jude's attention. "Starr, you're awake, thank God. Just stay with me baby, everything is going to be okay."

Jude's voice sounded strange to Starr's ears, distorted and fuzzy somehow, as though she was listening to him through layers of cotton balls or something. Her vision was fuzzy as well and everything seemed to swarm around her in indistinct blobs of color so she couldn't quite tell what she was seeing. She tried to speak, but the pain in her chest stopped her from forming words and only a bit of blood dribbled from her mouth. She tried again, this time succeeding. "Jude." she gasped, her voice ragged, and then the darkness took her shutting out all other sensations in a blanket of pitch black silence.

**A/N: And so, the tragedy begins. Starr's life now hangs precariously by a thread and the future of her and Jude's relationship is unknown. This doesn't necessarily mean she's going to die, but it is a possibility. Also, I know the party seemed like a reception that should have come after the wedding, but I chose to make it that way because I'm not really good at writing that kind of stuff. Finally, Vanisher are a fictional band and any similarities between them and any real bands are purely coincidental. Electro-punk may be a real genera though, but I'm not positive about that. **


	11. Shattered Dreams

The doors of the hospital burst open and several paramedics rushed in bringing a stretcher carrying Starr's unconscious form with them. It had been only a few minutes since the hit and run, but Starr's condition had already gotten worse. Her injuries were severe and even with the rapid response of the paramedics her chances of survival seemed grim at best. As the paramedics rushed in emergency personnel moved to assist them, led by a particularly gruff doctor who was in charge of the ER.

"What have we got?" the doctor asked, glancing at the paramedics.

"Female victim, early twenties, multiple fractures and lacerations, likely internal damage as well." the head paramedic answered. "She was hit by a car."

"Damn it." the ER doctor said, his tone irritated. "Get her to an exam room and prep her for surgery." He spoke to the nurses, though at least one of the paramedics moved to assist. The ER doctor turned to face Jude and the others, who had just come into the room.

"Who are you?" he asked, his tone gruff as his stern gaze passed over Jude.

"I'm her fiancée." Jude answered, his voice choked with emotion. "And these are my friends. Please, you have to help her."

"I'll do all I can." the doctor said. "But I won't make any promises. I'm Dr. Gomes, by the way. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go treat your fiancée."

Jude nodded and Dr. Gomes left, heading for the exam room the nurses had taken Starr to, leaving Jude with a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. As soon as Dr. Gomes had disappeared from his line of sight he turned to the others and broke down, the weight of the situation finally getting to him.

* * *

As Jude struggled to maintain his composure, Dr. Gomes began the process of trying to save Starr's life. The situation was grim, but Dr. Gomes was used to dealing with situations like this. He had worked in the ER for ten years now and had seen more than his fair share of car crash victims in his time. Still, Starr was one of the worst he had seen in a long time. Her injuries were even more severe than the paramedic had described and Dr. Gomes wasn't sure if he'd be able to save her. But he would be damned if he didn't try.

Starr was already hooked up to machines and her vitals had stabilized for the moment, but Dr. Gomes was well aware that her condition could change at any moment. To that end he moved quickly to assess her injuries, finding that she had suffered severe head trauma in addition to her other injuries. Recognizing that he couldn't proceed with any other procedures until the swelling in Starr's brain had been dealt with, Dr. Gomes made the decision to open her skull to relieve the pressure. It wasn't a pleasant decision, but it would increase Starr's odds of survival and Dr. Gomes had no other choice, so he ordered his assistants to perform a decompressive craniectomy.

Once the swelling in Starr's brain had been dealt with Dr. Gomes turned his attention to the next most serious of her injuries. A quick scan performed by the nurses had revealed multiple lacerations to Starr's liver, which was beginning to fail as a result of the damage. Dr. Gomes made the decision to perform surgery to repair the damage, though he knew full well the risks involved with such a procedure. Still, he had little choice in the matter. If Starr was going to live her liver had to repaired and Dr. Gomes would see that it was done.

* * *

While Dr. Gomes fought to save Starr's life, Jude and the others sat in the waiting room trying not to think about the worst case scenarios. It was hard not to imagine Starr succumbing to her injuries, but none of them were willing mention that possibility out loud. Still, it was obvious from the grim silence in the waiting room that all of them were thinking about that possibility.

"God, how did this happen?" Caitlin said, finally breaking the silence.

"Some asshole hit Starr with his car, that's how it happened Cait." Jonesy said, his tone a mixture of disbelief and anger.

"I know that." Caitlin snapped, rolling her eyes. "What I meant was, how could this happen? Everything was going so well and now..." She trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence.

"Yeah, it sucks." Nikki said. "But all we can do is hope that Starr is strong enough to pull through this."

"Of course she is." Jen said. "Starr is one of the strongest people any of us have ever met. She will make it through this. One way or another, she will survive."

"How can you know that for sure?" Jude asked, his tone hollow.

"I just have a feeling." Jen answered, not quite meeting Jude's sorrowful gaze.

"You just have a feeling?" Jude asked, incredulous. "Are you kidding me? Did you not see how badly Starr was injured? And now you're gonna sit there and tell me you have a feeling she's gonna survive?"

"Jude, calm down." Nikki said. "Jen's just trying to help. Besides, you have to have a little faith. Just because things look bleak right now doesn't mean you should give up hope. Starr could still make it through this."

"Don't tell me that." Jude said, his tone hysterical. "Don't tell me it's going to be okay. You can't know that for sure and I don't want to get my hopes up only to have them crushed when we get the news that Starr is dead."

"And we understand that." Caitlin said. "But Nikki and Jen are right. You can't give up hope yet. I mean, okay sure, we don't know for sure if Starr is going to live or not, but I believe that if we give up hope now then we're just helping to make it harder for her to pull through."

"Based on what?" Jude asked. "That our positive emotions will somehow leak out into the universe and give Starr some kind of extra strength? Is that it Cait? Because that's bullshit."

"What are you talking about dude?" Jonesy asked, with an incredulous glance at Jude. "I thought you believed in all that positive energy stuff?"

"I do." Jude snapped, obviously irritated by the topic of conversation. "But I don't want to rely on that as the basis for whether or not Starr survives. Because sometimes the universe is cruel. Sometimes bad things happen even when you fill the universe with positive energy and what if this is one of those situations? How am I supposed to deal with that?"

"With the help of your friends." Wyatt answered. "We'll all be there for you Jude, no matter what happens, we'll help you through it. You know that, right?"

"Yes." Jude answered, his tone sullen again. "I know that."

"Good, because they're right, you know?" said a familiar voice from across the room.

The entire group froze and then, one by one, they turned to find Marlowe and Troy standing in the doorway watching them with looks of concern.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Wyatt asked, glaring at them.

"We heard about Starr and we wanted to lend our support." Marlowe answered.

"Yeah, well, we don't need your support." Wyatt muttered. "So why don't you fuck off."

"Wyatt, don't be an ass." Nikki said. "They're just concerned about Starr's wellbeing is all. It's no different from why we're here."

"Yeah, and we could use as much support as we can get." Jude said.

"Thank you." Marlowe said, as she and Troy sat beside the Gang. Nikki and Jude just nodded, both of them unwilling to be any more friendly than they had to be.

"How is she?" Troy asked, his gaze passing over the entire group.

"We don't know." Jude answered. "She's been in surgery this whole time and no one has told us anything."

"Well, that's not bad news at least." Marlowe said. "No news is better than bad news."

"Yeah, I guess that's true." Jude conceded. "Still, it would be nice if someone told us something about how she's doing."

* * *

At that same moment, in the operating room, Dr. Gomes was struggling to repair the damage to Starr's internal organs. He had patched up her liver, for the most part, but she was still showing signs of liver failure. On top of that there was still the damage to her other organs to deal with and Dr. Gomes was beginning to worry he was fighting a losing battle.

At that moment however Starr suddenly came to, her eyes fluttering open, much to Dr. Gomes' surprise. "Where...where am I?" she asked, her voice horse.

"You are in surgery." Dr. Gomes answered. "You were hit by a car and we've been trying to save you ever since. Do you have a name?"

"My...my name is Starr." Starr answered, her voice a whisper.

"Well Starr, my name is Dr. Gomes and I'm going to do everything I can to help you, okay?" Dr. Gomes said.

"Okay." Starr said, her voice still a whisper. "Thank-" Her voice cut off abruptly as her chest hitched and then her heart monitor flat-lined.

"Oh shit, paddles!" Dr. Gomes shouted as the nurses scrambled to get the defibrillator ready. One of the nurses handed the paddles to Dr. Gomes who shouted, "Clear!" before zapping Starr with a powerful jolt of electricity.

Starr's body jerked but did not respond. Dr. Gomes charged the paddles again and gave Starr another jolt of electricity. "Come on, damn it." he said through gritted teeth. "Don't quit on me now Starr." For a third time he charged the paddles, but again he failed to get a response from Starr and it was then that he realized she was gone. "Call it." he muttered, hanging his head in shame.

One of the nurses glanced at her watch and made the call. "Time of death, 4:36 AM." The nurse leaned in and closed Starr's eyes, shutting out their blank, lifeless gaze, while another nurse shut off each of the machines in turn.

Dr. Gomes gave Starr's body one last sorrowful glance and then he turned and headed towards the waiting room to give Starr's friends the news.

* * *

Moments later, Dr. Gomes entered the waiting room to find Starr's friends gathered in one corner, all of them silent. Jude looked up as the doctor walked over to them, his expression hopeful, but he could immediately tell from Dr. Gomes' expression that the news wasn't good.

"Starr, is she...?" Jude asked, his question trailing off into silence.

"She's gone." Dr. Gomes answered. "I am sorry. I did everything I could, but her injuries were too severe."

Jude stared at the doctor for a moment, barely able to process what he was hearing. And then he collapsed to the floor, the emotional floodgates bursting under the pressure of his sorrow. Dr. Gomes placed a hand on Jude's shoulder and squeezed. "I'm sorry." he said again, but Jude seemed not to hear him.

"We'll take it from here." Jonesy said, stepping forward and pulling Jude to his feet. There was no anger in Jonesy's tone and he met Dr. Gomes' gaze as he spoke. "Thank you for trying."

Dr. Gomes nodded and took his leave, regretting every second of his struggle to save Starr and knowing that he could have done more. As soon as he was gone Jonesy led Jude from the waiting room, the others following in silence. Once they were outside Caitlin embraced Jude in a powerful hug, tears rolling down her cheeks as she did. And in that moment, as sorrow consumed them all, Jude realized that his dreams were shattered and he would never know happiness again.

**A/N: Well, there you go. Now you know what the tragedy mentioned in the summary is. Starr is dead and she and Jude will obviously not be getting married now. I know it sucks, but sometimes these things have to happen in stories. And keep in mind that their may be another reason why I chose to kill Starr off, though you'll have to wait to find out what that reason is. Also, a decompressive craniectomy is an actual medical procedure that is used to relieve the pressure caused by severe brain injuries or strokes. **


	12. Someone to Lean On

Caitlin sat alone in her apartment, her mind buzzing with a million different thoughts. It had been two days since the hit and run that had claimed Starr's life and Caitlin had spent much of that time trying to figure out why this had happened. It made no sense to her. Everything had been going so well. Jude and Starr had been only hours away from their wedding and everyone had been excited for them to take that next step, so why had this happened? Why would something this horrible happen just when Jude and Starr had been on the brink of eternal happiness? It made no sense and yet there had to be an explanation. But try as she might Caitlin couldn't seem to figure out what that explanation might be and she was beginning to get frustrated with herself. She wanted so badly to help Jude through this, but without an explanation for why it had happened she wasn't sure she could do that.

The thought of Jude brought fresh tears to Caitlin's eyes. Starr's death had crushed him and no one had seen or heard from him in two days. Caitlin had never seen Jude so devastated and she seriously wondered if he'd ever be able to recover from this. Starr had been his whole reason for living and losing her just before their wedding had to be messing with his mind. Caitlin was worried he would do something to hurt himself, but she had not been able to get a hold of him to see how he was doing. She knew the others had been trying to get a hold of Jude as well, but none of them were having any more luck than she was. And it was this fact that ultimately led her to call Jen, hoping that together they could figure out a way to help Jude.

"Hey Jen, it's Caitlin." she said, speaking into her phone. "Could you get the others and meet me at my apartment please?"

"Yeah, we'll be there in a few Cait." Jen's voice answered from the other end of the line. "Thanks for calling."

"Yeah, see you when you get here." Caitlin said, before hanging up. She waited then, hoping it didn't take the others too long to get there.

* * *

A short time later there was a knock at Caitlin's door. She rose from her seat and moved to the door, opening it to find Jen, Wyatt, Jonesy, and Nikki standing on the balcony. She nodded and let them in before turning to face them. "Thank you all for coming." she said, with a forced smile.

"Why are we here exactly?" Jonesy asked, with a curious glance at Caitlin.

"Are you really that thick?" Jen asked, with an incredulous glance at her stepbrother. "We're here to figure out a way to help Jude."

"Oh, okay." Jonesy said, looking both guilty and foolish as he spoke.

"Ever the oblivious one, aren't you Jonesy?" Wyatt muttered.

Jonesy shot Wyatt a dark look, but said nothing, sensing that now was not the time to start a fight. "So, have any of you heard from him since we left the hospital?" he asked, glancing around the room. "Cuz I certainly haven't."

"Neither have we." Jen said, gesturing at herself and Wyatt as she spoke.

"Nor have I." Caitlin said. "That's why I called you all here. Because I'm worried about Jude. I'm worried he'll do something to hurt himself."

"Really Cait?" Jonesy asked. "You think Jude is going to turn suicidal because of this?"

"I do." Caitlin answered. "And if you don't then you're obviously in some kind of denial. I mean, you saw how crushed he was when the doctor told him Starr was gone, we all did. So for any of us to think there's no chance he'll do something to hurt himself is just plain stupid."

"She's got a point, you know?" Nikki said, after an uncomfortable moment of silence. "Starr was the single most important part of Jude's life and to lose her like that will undoubtedly affect him in ways that we cannot predict. And one of those reactions could very well be a desire for Jude to harm himself."

"Yeah, but I still don't think he'd seriously consider suicide though." Jonesy said. "I know Jude. He loves life too much to even consider something like that."

"Yeah, but that was Jude before he lost the woman he loved." Nikki said. "Think about it Jonesy. How would you have reacted if I had died from those gunshot wounds I suffered in Hawaii?"

Jonesy looked uncomfortable and for a moment it seemed like he wouldn't answer the question. "I...I don't know." he finally answered, after a moment of silence.

"Come on Jonesy, answer the question honestly." Nikki said, her voice calm but forceful.

"I would have considered taking my own life." Jonesy said finally, hanging his head.

"So you can see why we're concerned about Jude then, right?" Nikki asked.

"Yes." Jonesy answered. "But how can we help him? He's not answering his phone, so how are we supposed to help him?"

"We'll find a way." Caitlin said, her tone determined. "Jude needs someone to lean on right now and we'll find a way to help him, no matter what it takes."

There was something about Caitlin's determination that made the others pause, but none of them made any comment, deciding now was not the time to go digging into issues that were obviously personal. Still, it was plainly obvious that there was more than just concern for Jude's wellbeing motivating Caitlin to take action and Caitlin had a feeling the others had figured out that reason.

Another uncomfortable silence descended on the group, which Jen finally broke when she asked, "So, what do we do now?"

"We need to get a hold of Jude." Caitlin said, not quite meeting Jen's gaze.

"How though?" Jonesy asked. "He's not answering his phone and we can't just go bursting into his house."

"Or can we?" Caitlin asked, meeting Jonesy's questioning gaze with one of cunning determination. "Or can we?" she repeated, trying to get Jonesy to catch her drift.

"No Caitlin, we can't just break into Jude's house." Jen said, her tone authoritative. "We'd be breaking the law and we can't help Jude if we're in jail."

Caitlin hung her head, realizing to her immense disappointment that Jen was right. They couldn't just break into Jude's house, even to help him. That would be trespassing, though Caitlin seriously doubted Jude would care. Still, Jen was right. They couldn't help Jude if they got arrested and so breaking in to Jude's house just wasn't worth it, even if it was to help him.

"Okay, so, we can't break into his house." Caitlin conceded. "But we can pay him a visit and see how he's doing."

"Assuming he let's us in." Wyatt said, not unkindly.

"Why wouldn't he let us in?" Caitlin asked. "We're his friends."

"Well you said it yourself Cait." Wyatt answered. "Jude is in pain right now. He may just want to be alone, you know?"

"So that means we should just let him be alone?" Caitlin asked, her tone incredulous.

"We can't force ourselves upon him Cait." Jen said. "If Jude wants to be alone, there's not really anything we can do."

"So, what, you're saying we should do nothing?" Caitlin asked. "Is that it?"

"Well, we don't seem to have any other options at the moment." Jen said. "I'm sorry Caitlin, but for now we're just gonna have to let Jude deal with this on his own."

"No, I don't accept that." Caitlin said. "I can't accept that. Jude needs our help and if you guys aren't willing to give it to him, I guess I'll do it by myself." With that she stormed out of the room, ignoring the other's pleas to stay and let Jude deal with his pain alone.

* * *

A short time later Caitlin arrived at Jude's house still determined to help him. Tears stung her eyes as she fought her feeling of frustration with the others. How could they be so uncaring towards Jude in his time of need? No, that wasn't right. They weren't being uncaring and some part of her knew that, but she didn't care. Her friends may have been willing to let Jude deal with his pain on his own, but Caitlin had watched them all struggle with pain on their own before and she was not willing to let any of them suffer like that again. With that thought in mind she walked up to the door and knocked, hoping Jude heard her.

"Jude?" she called. "Jude, it's Caitlin. Are you in there?"

Only silence greeted her and she felt her stomach clench in fear. Had Jude already hurt himself? Was she too late to help him? No, that couldn't be right. She shook her head, trying to push the negative thoughts away. But try as she might she couldn't get them to go away, especially the images of Jude laying cold and lifeless on the floor. "Damn it Caitlin, get a hold of yourself." she muttered. "Nothing has happened to Jude."

But the continued silence told her otherwise and for a moment she considered smashing a window so she could climb into the house. But then she reminded herself that she couldn't help Jude if she was in jail. "Jude?" she called again. "Jude, please open the door. I just want to talk."

Finally the door opened and a very haggered looking Jude stepped out onto the porch. "What do you want Caitlin?" he asked, his voice a sorrowful croak.

"Oh Jude." Caitlin said, fighting to hold back the tears.

Starr's death had hit him harder than Caitlin had realized. Jude looked like he hadn't eaten or slept in two days. There were dark circles under his eyes and he smelled horrible, as though he had done nothing but wallow in his sorrow and filth since leaving the hospital. Caitlin had never seen him look so bad and it was very hard for her not to break down and cry.

"What do you want Cait?" Jude asked again, drawing her from her thoughts.

"I want to help you Jude." she answered, still fighting back the tears.

"Help me?" he asked. "Help me with what? I have nothing left to live for Caitlin. Starr is dead and I don't want to face the world without her. So please, just leave and let me sit here until death takes me away from this shitty thing called life."

Caitlin stared at him for a moment, barely daring to believe what she was hearing. _Well, so much for Jonesy's theory that he doesn't want to hurt himself_, she thought. Her heart ached seeing Jude like this and she refused to let him give into his suicidal impulses.

"No Jude." she said, her tone firm. "I won't leave you here to die alone. I'm going to help you, whether you want me to or not."

Jude gave her a dark look, but he did not resist as she drug him back into the house, heading for the bathroom. Once there she dumped him into the bathtub before stripping off his filthy clothes, which she tossed in a heap in the corner. She turned on the water and began scrubbing him down, washing away the filth that had accumulated over the course of his two days in isolation. She was amazed he had gotten this filthy in just two days, but she supposed it wasn't that surprising given that it was Jude who had once spent multiple days camped out in the mall with no shower.

Once she was done cleaning him up she drug Jude to bedroom, where she dressed him in clean clothes and propped him up on the bed. It was then that she realized he was crying.

"Why?" he asked. "Why did this happen? Why did she have to die?"

Caitlin stared at him, frozen in fear and sympathy, tears stinging her eyes. "I don't know Jude." she said. "I don't know and I'm sorry."

He looked at her then, as if he had just realized she was there. "Caitlin?" he asked, his voice choked with emotion. "Caitlin, will you help me?"

"Yes Jude, I will." she answered. "Whatever you need, I'll be there for you."

"Thank you." he whispered. "Thank you. I...where are the others?"

Caitlin swallowed, not sure how to respond to that question. Did she tell him the truth or did she make something up to make him feel better? Ultimately she decided to go with the truth.

"They're off letting you deal with this on your own." she said, watching him closely.

"That makes sense." Jude muttered, not meeting her gaze.

"You're not angry with them?" she asked, honestly surprised.

"No." Jude answered. "How can I be? They're my friends, but I expected them to do this. Honestly I expected you to go along with them. You all saw how I reacted when...you know, and I guess I just assumed you'd all want to leave me be for awhile, you know bra?"

Caitlin wasn't sure she understood his explanation, but she didn't say this. Instead she nodded and said, "Yeah, I know what you mean."

"How are things going out in the world?" he asked, finally meeting her gaze.

"Pretty good, all things considered." she answered. "Starr's parents have made the arrangements for her funeral. It's in three days, if you want to come."

"Of course I want to come." Jude said. "She was the love of my life. I want to be there when she's laid to rest, even though I know it's gonna be painful."

Caitlin nodded. "Why don't we go meet up with the others?" she said. "You know, get out of this funk and focus on the positives again."

For a moment it seemed like Jude was going to resist, but he nodded and got to his feet. "Okay." he said. "Let's go meet with the others."

Caitlin nodded again and they made their way over to her apartment, where the others were still waiting, much to her surprise. She saw their eyes light up when the saw Jude and then Jonesy moved forward, embracing Jude in a powerful hug.

"Welcome back bro." Jonesy said. "We're all here for you."

Jude nodded and the others each embraced him in turn, each of them expressing their condolences. Caitlin then turned the conversation to the positives, focusing on all the things that had made Starr such a great person. The others piled on, each of them adding their own stories of Starr's kindness, generosity, and charity. Jude sat and listened, appreciating everything that was said and glad that his friends had loved Starr as much as he had. And at some point he realized that was all he had needed, someone to lean on and that someone was most certainly Caitlin who had pulled him out of his self imposed exile and shown him that even without Starr, he was never alone.

**A/N: So, that's chapter 12. Sorry for the delay. I had some writers block with this one, not to mention other things I was working on. Anyway, there's not much else to say about this, except to say that this experience will lead the others to try and support each other more. It also leads one of them to make a decision that will lead to the next tragedy, but that will be explained later.**


	13. To Make Amends

Jude stood at the entrance to the cemetery trying his best not to cry. It had been five days since he had lost everything, five days since Starr had died, and he was still having great difficulty accepting that. The near constant companionship of his friends, especially Caitlin, was helping, but Jude knew that he would never be truly happy again. How could he be? He and Starr were supposed to be on their honeymoon right now, but instead Starr was being buried. They had been less than a day away from their wedding and she had been killed, so how was Jude supposed to feel anything ever again? It seemed impossible and yet Jude knew he could not give up. He still had people who cared about him. He still had reasons to live. And above all, he had the knowledge that Starr wouldn't want him to just roll over and quit. She would want him to keep on living, to try and find some kind of happiness, and that was exactly what he would do, no matter how hard it was.

"You ready for this Jude?" Caitlin asked then, drawing Jude from his thoughts.

Jude glanced at her and nodded. "Yeah." he said. "As ready as I'll ever be, at any rate."

Caitlin nodded, seeming to understand, and they made their way into the cemetery, the rest of the Gang following them. Jude felt a sudden desire to run, but he forced himself to remain calm and forge ahead, the comforting weight of Caitlin's hand on his shoulder keeping him from freaking out.

Once inside the cemetery they made their way to the plot where Starr would be laid to rest. Starr's parents had decided to hold the entire funeral at the cemetery, as that was what Starr had asked for. It seemed a little strange, but Jude knew Starr's reasons. She had always had a love of the outdoors and it made perfect sense for her funeral to be held outside, in the shadow of a magnificent oak tree. It was a fitting way to pay tribute and Jude knew Starr would have been happy with this decision.

As they reached the plot Jude felt his breath catch in his chest. Starr lay in her casket, her eyes closed, dressed in the beautiful white dress that she would have worn at their wedding. Her arms were folded over her chest and a bouquet of white roses was clasped in her hands. She looked so beautiful and Jude felt himself fighting back the tears. Even in death Starr was radiant and Jude was reminded once again of why he had fallen in love with her in the first place. It wasn't simply the fact that she was beautiful, it was the fact that she had been kind and caring and generous to all, something he had always strived to be, but hadn't really accomplished until he'd met her.

Jude felt Caitlin's hand on his shoulder again and he turned away from Starr's casket, his emotions overwhelming him. "I...I can't do this." he said, his voice a strained whisper.

"Yes you can." Caitlin said, her tone both strong and comforting. "You can and you will."

Jude nodded, shaking off his momentary failure to remain strong. Without speaking he moved to find a seat, choosing one near Starr's casket, as it would seem strange for him to sit far away from her, given that they had been in a relationship. Starr's parents sat beside him, as did Caitlin, while his other friends sat in the second row directly behind him and Caitlin.

Moments after they had taken their seats, the preacher who had been hired to conduct the service stood and began speaking. "Dear friends," he said. "We are gathered here today to pay homage to an extraordinary young woman whom we all loved. Starr Dalia Sullivan was one of the most fascinating people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and it is with deep regret that I must inform you all that she died the day before she was to be married..."

The rest of the preacher's speech, Starr's eulogy, passed with little notice from Jude, who had drifted off into his own memories of Starr. There were so many things for him to remember, but the best memory was of their first meeting. It had been at the mall, of course, and it had been wonderful. Jude remembered thinking that Starr was the one for him and that he would do anything and everything to be with her. However, it hadn't been until after they had graduated from high school that they truly became a lasting couple. Starr had traveled the country with him and they had visited nearly every skate park in Canada. It had been fantastic and Jude would always remember those days fondly, even if the memories caused him pain.

"...And so, as we lay Starr to rest let us never forget the indelible mark she left on this world." the preacher said, concluding his speech and drawing Jude out of his memories. "Now, I believe Starr's fiancée, Jude Lizowski has a few words for us as well."

Jude nodded and stood, his whole body shaking as he tried to control his emotions. "Yes, I do." he said. "Thank you for your kind words preacher."

The preacher nodded and took a seat while Jude stepped up to Starr's casket. For a long moment he stared at her motionless form, seemingly unable to speak. And then he turned to face the crowed and spoke.

"Starr was..." he began before faltering. He took a deep breath and continued. "Starr was the single most unique and extraordinary person I have ever met. She was the love of my life and I owe her so much. She helped me become a better person and I will forever be grateful for that. But Starr was more than just my fiancée. She was a woman of extraordinary depth and beauty, someone who always had the interests of everyone else at heart. She touched us all in different ways and I know no one here will ever forget her."

He paused then and turned to Starr's casket, tucking a single red rose into the bouquet before continuing. "I miss you so much." he said, speak directly to Starr. "I love you and I always will. I hope that you find peace in whatever life awaits you on the other side and I want you to know that I will never give up. I will keep on living, because that's what you'd want me to do."

He paused again and turned back to the crowed. "And I mean that." he continued. "I will keep on living, and so will all of you, because that's what Starr would have wanted. Thank you all for your love and support." With that, he returned to his seat, while Starr's parents stood say their thanks and then the casket was closed, shutting out Starr's radiance once and for all.

With the funeral now over the Gang made their way towards the exit, all of them silent and somber as they reflected on life that Starr had lived.

"That was a beautiful eulogy Jude." Caitlin said, with a halfhearted smile.

"Thanks Cait." Jude said, though he did not return her smile.

"So, what now?" Jonesy asked as the reached the exit.

"Now we try to find a way to move on." Jen answered. "As hard as that will be."

"Shouldn't we have some sort of after service or something?" Nikki asked.

"We do." Caitlin answered. "There is a reception at Starr's parent's house. That's where I was headed."

"Me too." Jude said, though he sounded like he wanted to go anywhere but the reception.

"Well, I guess we'll come too then." Nikki said, nodding at Jonesy, who nodded to show he agreed with this plan.

"I'll come too." Jen said. "Wyatt, what about you?"

"Actually, I have something else I need to go do." Wyatt said, with an apologetic glance at Jude. "Sorry, but this really can't wait."

"I understand bro." Jude said, though he had no idea what Wyatt was talking about.

Jen, however, seemed to know exactly what Wyatt was referring to because she said, "Are you sure? Do you really want to do that now?"

"Yes." Wyatt answered. "I do. And I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't make a big deal about it. Please?"

Jen nodded, though she looked less than thrilled about whatever it was Wyatt was about to do. Content that Jen wasn't going to freak out Wyatt turned to leave, leaving the others to wonder what it was that he was up to.

* * *

A short time later Wyatt arrived at the hotel where Marlowe and Troy were staying. He had told them that he would not help them with their problems, but something had changed in the last few days and now he felt compelled to do something. Watching Jude suffer through Starr's death and, more importantly, watching how everyone had rallied around Jude in his time of need had convinced Wyatt that he needed to do something to help Marlowe and Troy. He had no illusions about somehow getting Marlowe back and he didn't want to. He was with Jen now and nothing would change that. But he had to do something, if for no other reason then to bury the proverbial hatchet.

He entered the hotel and made his way up to the desk, where he was greeted by a rather unpleasant looking hotel employee.

"Can I help you?" the employee asked, his voice gruff.

"Yeah." Wyatt said. "I was wondering if you could tell me what room Marlowe Welling and Troy Kalani are staying in?"

"Why do you want to know?" the employee asked, his tone suspicious.

"I'm a friend of theirs and I need to speak with them." Wyatt answered.

"So call them." the employee said, his tone now irritated.

"I can't." Wyatt said. "This is the kind of conversation that needs to be had face to face, so please, just tell me what room their in and I'll be on my way."

The employee sighed, before checking his computer. "They're in room 322." he said.

"Thanks." Wyatt said, with a grateful smile. He then headed to the elevators and stepped into the first one that opened.

Seconds later the elevator arrived at the third floor and Wyatt stepped off and made his way to room 322. He paused outside the room and took a deep breath before knocking.

A minute or so later the door opened, revealing Marlowe, who was dressed in a bathrobe and slippers, her hair damp, as though she had just gotten out of the shower. "Wyatt?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk." Wyatt said, doing his best not to imagine what Marlowe was wearing beneath her robe. _Probably nothing_, he thought, before pushing the thought away.

"Oh, so now you want to talk, huh?" Troy said, appearing beside Marlowe with an incredulous look on his face. "You weren't this diplomatic a few days ago, so what the fuck changed?"

"Troy, hush." Marlowe said. "Let the man say what he needs to say."

"Thank you." Wyatt said. "I know I acted like an ass before, but I wasn't thinking straight at the time and I'm sorry. It's just, I wasn't expecting you guys to show up like that and I guess I just went with the default reaction of anger."

"I understand." Marlowe said. "I probably would have reacted in the same manner if our places were reversed."

"Yeah, I guess I would too." Troy conceded. "So, what are you here for now?"

"I came to make amends." Wyatt answered. "To bury the hatchet, so to speak. Look, this issue between us is pointless. I realize that now. I overreacted and I want to make things right, if you two will let me."

"Of course we'll let you." Marlowe said, peeling off her robe as she spoke. To Wyatt's surprise she was clothed in a tank top and cotton shorts. "But you have to answer one question for me first. Can you do that?"

"Yes." Wyatt answered. "What's your question?"

"What led you to this epiphany?" Marlowe asked.

"Starr's death." Wyatt answered. "Watching Jude suffer like that and seeing how everyone rallied around him, it made me realize that life is too short to hold grudges. We can't keep doing this, because every second we waste on this grudge is one less second we have to enjoy our lives."

"That makes sense to me." Troy said, glancing at Marlowe, who seemed to be deep in thought. "What do you think babe?"

"Yeah, it makes sense to me too." Marlowe answered, glancing at Troy before turning her attention back to Wyatt. "How was Starr's service?"

"It was nice." Wyatt answered. "Jude said some very nice things about her."

"That's nice to hear." Marlowe said. "How's he doing, by the way?"

"He's...coping." Wyatt answered. "It's hard, but he's doing better than he was a few days ago, at any rate."

"Well, let him know we're thinking of him." Troy said, though Wyatt doubted that was actually the case.

"Will do." Wyatt said. "So, anyway, getting back to the reason I'm here. I want to help you guys deal with whatever problems you're having in Hawaii."

"You do?" Marlowe asked, confused. "I thought you'd already made a decision on that."

"I did, but I changed my mind." Wyatt said. "Like I said, life is too short to let all this negative shit prevent us from living. I'm here to make amends and the best way I can do that is to help you guys with your problems."

"Are you sure?" Troy asked. "Cuz, what we're dealing with is pretty heavy stuff."

"Yes, I'm sure." Wyatt answered. "I want to help and I won't take no for an answer."

"What does Jen think about this?" Marlowe asked, as if it mattered.

"She doesn't know." Wyatt answered. "Or at least I think she doesn't. Either way, it doesn't matter. It's my life and I'll help you guys if I want to."

"Okay, if you're sure, then I guess we have no choice but to let you help us." Marlowe said.

"No, you always have a choice." Wyatt said. "But, you're the ones who came to me first, so why would you turn me away now?"

"That's an excellent point." Troy said. "Though, if you're gonna help us we should probably let you know what's going on first."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." Wyatt agreed. "Just let me use the bathroom real quick and then you can tell me what drove you from Hawaii of all places."

Troy nodded and Wyatt made his way to the bathroom. No sooner had he entered when something poked him in the neck. "Ow!" he yelped. "What the hell was..." His sentence trailed off as he slumped to the floor, the room spinning around him. As he fought to stay conscious he thought he heard someone laughing and then the darkness took him, plunging him into a void so absolute that he was sure he would never make it back to consciousness.

**A/N: So, there's chapter 13. Sorry about the delay. I was having trouble writing the funeral scene. I kept writing it and not liking it and then rewriting it, until I finally got it right. There was also the matter of me being slightly distracted by other ideas, which has been resolved now (sort of). Anyway, this chapter officially concludes Starr's story and also sets up much of what is to come in the second half of this story. A warning, things are going to turn kinda ugly for awhile and the bonds of friendship between certain individuals are going to be tested like never before. So prepare yourselves, the ride is about to get really fun.**


	14. The Scene of a Crime

A sharp, stabbing pain in his head brought Wyatt back to consciousness. For a moment he sat on the floor, his head pounding, trying to remember where he was. And then the memories came rushing in. He was in Marlowe and Troy's hotel room. He had come to talk to them, to make amends, to help them deal with their problems. But he had never learned what those problems were, had he? No, something had happened to prevent him from learning exactly why Marlowe and Troy had left Hawaii, but Wyatt had no idea what. He remembered going to the bathroom, a sharp stab of pain and then everything had gone dark. But what had happened to him? And more importantly, had something happened to Marlowe and Troy?

Keen to find out, Wyatt stood, but immediately wished he hadn't. His head swam and the room spun around him, making him nauseous. Fighting to keep himself from vomiting, Wyatt leaned against the wall and took a deep, steadying breath, which helped clear the haze in brain. With his mind now semi-clear Wyatt noted that he was still in the bathroom, though it looked like it had been torn apart by a wild animal. Confused, Wyatt made his way over to the sink for some water, but the sight that greeted him in the mirror made him freeze with shock.

He was covered with blood, though there was no obvious source. There was blood splattered across his face, his shirt, and his pants. His hands were stained red and there was blood in his hair as well. Wyatt stared at his reflection in horror, his mind trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Where had all this blood come from? Was he injured and didn't know it? Or had the blood come from someone else? Had he done something horrible when he blacked out? Was that even possible? Or was this all still part of some hellish nightmare that he had yet to wake up from?

With these questions spinning in his brain Wyatt moved to find the answers, hoping against all hope that this was just a dream. To that end he pinched himself, hoping to wake himself up. When nothing happened the terrible truth struck him and Wyatt realized this was real. Something bad had happened in this hotel room and it hadn't been a dream. It was then that Wyatt realized he hadn't seen or heard Marlowe or Troy since regaining consciousness. Panic gripped him then as he moved to the main room, hoping they were okay.

The scene that greeted him however killed any hopes that he had been the only one targeted. The main room had been torn apart just like the bathroom, though it wasn't the state of the room that caught him off guard. It was the motionless shape of Troy's body laying on the floor that made Wyatt's blood run cold.

"Oh God." he whispered, moving to Troy's side. "Please be alive."

As he reached Troy however, Wyatt could tell he was gone. Troy lay on his side, his eyes still open, wide with shock. Bullet holes riddled his chest and abdomen, with a single hole in his head as well. Wyatt rolled Troy onto his back and closed his eyes, speaking a silent prayer as he did so, before moving on to find Marlowe. His heart was heavy with sorrow, but there was nothing he could do for Troy now. All he could do was look for Marlowe and hope she was okay.

"Marlowe?" Wyatt called. "Marlowe, are you here? Are you hurt?"

Only silence greeted him and a second later he discovered why. Marlowe was sprawled out on the bed, her body soaked with blood. She had been stabbed multiple times and had been shot in the leg. But what was most horrifying was the bloody gash across her throat. Her eyes were also open, blank and glassy, and her mouth hung open as well, revealing her bloodstained teeth.

"Oh God." Wyatt said again, moving to Marlowe's side. "No, no, no. This can't be real. This can't be real." He grabbed Marlowe by the shoulders and shook her.

"You're not dead." he said, his tone choked and pleading. "Please, come back. I...I want to help you. Don't leave me like this."

Marlowe made no response, her body limp and motionless in his arms. And it was then that Wyatt realized she was truly gone. They both were. Marlowe and Troy were dead and he hadn't been able to stop it. He had been right there in the next room and he had done nothing to save them. And then a terrible thought occurred to him, what if he hadn't helped them because he had been the one who had killed them? It seemed insane, but how else could he explain why he was covered in blood?

As this thought passed through his mind he pushed himself away from Marlowe's body, panic and disgust tearing at his insides. Was he the killer? Had he really killed his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend? It didn't seem like something he would do, but Wyatt couldn't be sure. He had been extremely pissed off at them only a few days earlier. Perhaps that rage had manifested itself in a violent manner once he had gotten them alone. But that didn't explain the poke in the bathroom or why he had felt so woozy when he'd first regained consciousness. Those signs pointed to him having been drugged and if that was the case, how could he have been the killer? He supposed it was still possible, that there were drugs that would cause him to black out and go on a berserk rampage. But if that was the case, then who had drugged him and why?

The answer to that question hit Wyatt as soon as he glanced at Marlowe's body again. She and Troy had come seeking help. They had left Hawaii to get away from something or someone that was causing them problems. What if this was somehow connected? What if Wyatt had been drugged by the people Marlowe and Troy had been trying to get away from? It was as good an explanation as any, though it still didn't explain why. If Marlowe and Troy had been running from someone who wanted to kill them, why hadn't that someone just killed them? Why go through all this trouble? Wyatt thought he knew the answer, but he didn't want to face that possibility yet, not until he was certain of exactly what had happened here.

At that moment, the door flew open and Wyatt found himself face to face with a cadre of police officers and hotel security. The officers looked surprised to see him and the feeling was mutual, prompting Wyatt to ask, "What are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to investigate a crime." the lead officer answered. "What are you doing here?"

"I...um, how did you know there was a crime here?" Wyatt asked, confused.

"Some guests reported hearing screams and gunshots from this room." the officer answered. "Now, answer my question, who are you, why are you here, and why are you covered in blood?" The officer gave him a suspicious look, as though he already had a theory as to why Wyatt was in the room.

"I'm friends with the people who are staying here and I came to visit them." Wyatt answered, hoping the cops would buy it.

"Wait, were you one of the people who called to report the possibility of a crime at this room?" a second officer asked.

"Of course he wasn't." the first officer answered. "Look at him, he's covered in blood. Who's to say he's not the one who committed this crime?"

"Or he tried to help?" the second officer suggested, glancing at Wyatt as he spoke. "Besides, we don't even know for sure there was a crime here, Bob."

"Oh, there was a crime here, alright." a third officer said, surprising Wyatt, who hadn't noticed the other cops entering the room. "A double homicide, in fact."

"Well shit." the cop named Bob said. "What do we got, Steve?"

"Young female, early twenties, multiple stab wounds, gunshot to the right thigh and fatal laceration to the throat." the cop named Steve answered.

"And the second victim?" Bob asked, glancing at Steve.

"Male, mid twenties, multiple gunshot wounds." Steve answered. "Looks like we may have two killers Bob."

Bob nodded, though he seemed not to believe that theory. He cast a suspicious glance at Wyatt and moved to examine the bodies himself. Wyatt watched him as he worked, hoping against all hope that he'd find a way out of this.

"Well, it certainly seems like there were two killers." Bob said, moments later. "Alright, lets process the scene and get these bodies out of here."

"Does that mean I can go?" Wyatt asked, his tone hopeful.

"Hell no." Bob snapped. "You're coming down to the station with us."

"But if there are two killers, what do you need from me?" Wyatt asked.

"First of all, we don't know for sure there were two killers." Bob answered. "And second, even if there were, you could still be one of 'em, so you're coming with us, got it?"

"And if I say no, what are you going to do to me?" Wyatt asked.

"I'll charge you with obstruction of justice and resisting arrest." Bob answered.

"But you can't take me in without arresting me first." Wyatt said, his tone defiant.

At that, Bob lurched forward and grabbed Wyatt by the shirt, before slamming him into the wall. "You see this?" he growled, whipping out his badge as he spoke. "This means I can detain you for twenty four hours if I have even a tiny amount of reasonable doubt about your innocence. And since I'm questioning everything about your fucking story, you're coming with me, got it?"

"Okay, jeez, I was just asking." Wyatt said, his shoulders slumping as Bob led him from the room, the second cop following them.

"Don't worry." the second cop said. "We just want to question you. If there's no evidence against you, and I don't think there is, we'll let you go. I'm Phil, by the way."

Wyatt nodded and gave Phil a grateful smile, though deep inside he knew things weren't going to go as smoothly as Phil had promised.

* * *

A short time later, while Wyatt was being hauled off to the police station, his friends sat waiting for him at Nikki and Jonesy's house. It had been several hours since they had seen or heard from Wyatt and they were beginning to wonder where he was. Jen, in particular, was beginning to get worried that something had happened.

"Damn it, where the hell is he?" she asked of no one in particular.

"Calm down Jen, I'm sure he's fine." Nikki said, her tone calm, but stern.

"Then why isn't he here yet?" Jen asked, her tone the exact opposite of Nikki's.

"I don't know." Nikki answered. "Why would he be in trouble though?"

Jen didn't answer immediately and Nikki could tell something was bugging her best friend, something Jen wasn't keen to share. Caitlin seemed to notice this as well, as she was the nest to speak.

"Did he say where he was going?" she asked, glancing at Jen.

"No, but I think I have an idea about that." Jen answered.

"Which is?" Nikki asked, now curious to know what Jen was thinking.

"I think he went to see Marlowe and Troy." Jen answered.

"Why would he do that?" Caitlin asked. "I thought he was done with them?"

"So did I." Jen said. "But I think, with everything that's happened recently, he didn't want to leave things with them on bad terms."

"Well, if that's the case, then you don't really need to worry." Caitlin said. "Marlowe and Troy wouldn't hurt him, anymore than they already have at least. I'm sure everything is fine, so stop worrying, please."

"Actually, I wouldn't be so sure of that." Jonesy said from the next room, where he was watching TV.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nikki asked, annoyed by Jonesy's seeming inability to fill them in completely.

"You guys may want to come in here and watch this." Jonesy said, as a means of answering Nikki's question.

Sighing, Nikki got to her feet, Jen, Caitlin, and Jude following suit. Together they made their way to the TV room, where Jonesy was staring at the news with rapt attention, which would almost have been funny, were it not for the story that was flashing across the screen.

"...police are investigating the site of a murder at the Park West Hotel." the newscaster was saying as the others entered the room.

"That's where Marlowe and Troy are staying, isn't it?" Caitlin asked.

"Shhh, we're trying to listen." Jen snapped, her attention never leaving the screen.

"...we don't have much information at this time." the newscaster was saying now. "But police have released the identities of the two victims, identifying them as Marlowe Welling and Troy Kalani. A motive for these killing has yet to be determined, however."

The Gang exchanged looks of shock and then another picture appeared on the screen, this one even more familiar.

"Police have also identified a possible suspect in the slayings." the newscaster continued. "Local musician Wyatt Williams was taken into custody at the scene, though police are still investigating the possibility that there are other suspects. We will keep you informed as this story develops."

Jonesy switched off the TV and for a moment everyone was silent until Jonesy himself spoke. "Well shit, that aint good." he said, glancing at the others, whose expressions echoed his sentiment.

But no one was more shocked than Jen, who stared at the now blank TV screen with a look of utter bewilderment as she tried to process what she had just learned.

**A/N: And that's chapter 14. Sorry about the massive delay. I was distracted by other ideas and I was also battling the stubborn bastard known as writer's block. Anyway, this is the new chapter. As you can see, Marlowe and Troy have been killed, which is the second tragedy of the story (Starr's death being the first). Wyatt is suspect number one in the case, though he hasn't been formally charged with anything yet. So that's what happened after Wyatt blacked out at the end of the previous chapter. I will not be showing the murders however, as the after effects should be sufficient to tell you what happened. So, that's all I've got for now. Stay tuned to find out what happens with Wyatt and how this will affect his relationship with Jen and the others.**


	15. Accusations

Wyatt sat in an interrogation room waiting for the cops to return. His mind was buzzing as he tried to piece together what had happened, but try as he might he couldn't seem to find the answers. How had this happened? Who would want to hurt, let alone kill, Marlowe and Troy? Was it possible that he was the killer? The police certainly seemed to think so, or at least Bob did. Wyatt wasn't certain quite where the other two cops stood in regards to his innocence. He supposed it didn't really matter in the end, for he could see no way of getting himself out of this situation without some kind of help. The cops only had circumstantial evidence at the moment, but Wyatt knew the entire scene was being processed and it wasn't long until they found something. He just hoped that whatever was found proved he was innocent, for despite his doubts he was fairly certain he would never have done something like this, at least not of his own volition.

The truth of the situation was still shocking. Marlowe and Troy were dead and Wyatt had been the last person to see them alive. It was extremely hard for him to accept that he would never get a chance to help them with whatever issues had driven them from Hawaii. He had never even learned exactly what those issues were and he couldn't help feeling that maybe if he'd known he would have been able to do something to prevent this. He wasn't sure why he thought that, but his gut was telling him that Marlowe and Troy's deaths were somehow connected to whatever it was that had brought them to him in the first place. The only issue now was getting the police to make that connection as well, though Wyatt knew that was easier said than done.

At that moment the door opened and Bob, Steve, and Phil entered, all three of them looking much more grave and serious than Wyatt had been hoping for. For a moment the three cops just stood there eying him, allowing Wyatt a chance to get a better look at them. Bob was a tall, muscular man with short brown hair and face that seemed to be twisted into a permanent scowl. Steve was tall and lanky, with curly brown hair and just the hint of a beard. Phil was short and stocky, round shouldered and big bellied, with a small bald patch and a thick, bushy mustache. For some reason he reminded Wyatt of Commissioner Gordon from Batman, though Wyatt wasn't quite sure why.

"Well, here we are." Bob said then, his gruff tone drawing Wyatt from his thoughts. "I assume you know why we brought you in?"

"I do." Wyatt answered, not quite meeting Bob's stern gaze.

"Good." Bob grunted. "That'll make this easier. My name is Officer Oswald. These are my partners, Officers Wright and Jensen." He gestured at Steve and Phil, who both nodded. "So, what we're gonna do here is ask you some questions and you will answer them or there will be hell to pay."

"Don't I get a lawyer first?" Wyatt asked, finally meeting Bob's gaze.

Bob looked like he wanted to hit Wyatt, but he sighed instead and nodded. "Yes, I suppose you do." he conceded. He glanced at Steve and asked, "Is the councilor here yet?"

"She just walked in." Steve answered, moving to open the door for a tall, stunning woman who looked like she should be a supermodel. Wyatt had to fight to keep himself from gasping in surprise, as this wasn't quite what he'd been expecting when he'd asked for a lawyer.

"This is Anna Cross, your court appointed representative." Bob said, glancing at Wyatt, his voice thick with disdain.

"Thank you Officer Oswald." Anna said, as she took her seat beside Wyatt. "You may begin questioning my client."

Bob nodded and turned his attention back to Wyatt. "So, the first thing I'd like to know is, what were you doing in that hotel room?" he asked, his tone still gruff and serious.

"I told you earlier, I was there visiting my friends." Wyatt answered.

"Can you explain to me why they're now dead and you're not?" Bob asked.

"I don't know." Wyatt answered. "I blacked out and when I woke up they were dead. I have no idea how it happened though."

"That's convenient." Steve muttered, with a dark look at Bob.

"Do you have something you'd like to say Officer Wright?" Anna asked, her sharp gaze flashing in Steve's direction.

"Uh, no." Steve replied. "Well, except that it does seem extremely convenient that he just happened to black out when this attack happened, don't you think?"

"What are you implying Officer Wright?" Anna asked. "Are you accusing my client of murder in this case, because that would be a bold move without evidence."

"You assume we don't have evidence." Bob said. "Which is a bold move on your part."

"So do you?" Anna asked. "Have evidence that my client committed these murders, I mean?" She smiled, as though she'd won the debate.

"He was at the scene of the crime covered in blood." Bob snapped. "What more proof of his guilt do you need?"

"Yes, well, unfortunately this is not a trial, Officer Oswald." Anna said. "And as such it is beyond your power to pass judgment on my client. And without evidence your accusations are worse than useless."

Bob looked like he wanted to throw the table through the wall, as did Steve, but Phil appeared to be relieved by Anna's words. "I'm afraid she's right guys." he said. "We can accuse him all we want but unless we can prove it there's nothing we can do."

"Well, we'll just have to wait for the evidence to arrive then, won't we?" Bob asked, with a dark glance at Wyatt and Anna.

* * *

At that same moment, across town, Wyatt's friends sat in stunned silence as they tried to process what they had learned from the news. None of it made any sense. How could Marlowe and Troy be dead? More importantly, how could the cops seriously consider Wyatt a suspect? It was obvious from the silence in the room that none of them had any answers, but that wasn't good enough for Jen, who had to know the truth.

"That's it." she said. "I'm going down to the police station to get some answers."

"Are you insane?" Jonesy asked, staring at his stepsister with a mixture of horror and concern. "You can't just barge into the police station and demand answers. They'll arrest you or something, you know, for being crazy."

"Well what do you expect me to do Jonesy?" Jen snapped. "Wyatt is there right now and we have to do something before they lock him up."

"There's nothing we can do." Nikki said. "I know it sucks, but Jonesy is right on this. We can't just barge in and demand answers. Doing that will only make things worse. All we can do is wait and hope that there's no evidence that would allow them to hold Wyatt."

"You make it sound like there's a chance he's guilty." Caitlin said.

"That wasn't my intention." Nikki said. "But it is a possibility we have to consider. I know that's not something any of you want to hear, but it's the truth, especially given the shit that's gone down between him and Marlowe in recent weeks."

No one had a response to that, though Nikki could tell it was on their minds. It wasn't something she wanted to think about either, but none of them could deny that things had been tense between Wyatt and Marlowe ever since she and Troy had come back to town. And though Nikki had her doubts, it was possible that something had driven Wyatt to kill them. She hoped that wasn't the case, but there was no way to know until the evidence was examined. Until then, all they could do was wait and hope that Wyatt was innocent.

* * *

While his friends struggled to accept what had happened, Wyatt sat and waited for Bob's so called evidence to arrive. He was beginning to doubt Bob had any evidence, which was kind of surprising given the amount of possible evidence at the crime scene. Still, he supposed it was possible that there was no evidence or at least no evidence to tie him to the murders.

For her part Anna seemed supremely confident that there was no evidence to tie Wyatt to the crime. Wyatt still wasn't quite sure what to make of Anna. On the one hand she gave off an aura of confidence and power that seemed to penetrate every corner of the room. But on the other hand Wyatt couldn't help but think that the confidence was just a cover and that Anna wasn't as good a lawyer as she appeared. He wasn't sure why he thought that, but he did and he couldn't help thinking that somehow that would be his downfall. For the moment however Wyatt was content to let Anna's confidence circle in the room, as it seemed to keep Bob and Steve from making any more accusations.

Several hours later, just as Wyatt was beginning to get tired of waiting, there was a knock on the door of the interrogation room. Bob moved to answer it, a smile crossing his face, as though he had been expecting this. He opened the door and another cop stepped inside before handing Bob a pair of evidence bags.

Wyatt felt his insides go cold at the sight of the bags, but he did his best not to show it. "What's in the bags?" he asked.

"My evidence." Bob said, thrusting the bags onto the table in front of them.

The bags contained a bloodstained knife and a handgun that had obviously been recently processed by forensic technicians. Wyatt stared at the weapons with obvious fear, but Anna seemed dismissive of their presence.

"Ooh, wow, a gun and a knife." she said, her tone mocking. "Those could be from anywhere. Nice try Bob."

"Actually these were recovered from the scene of the murders your client is being accused of committing." Bob said, speaking in a tone that left no doubt he was telling the truth.

Wyatt froze at these words and Anna paled, as they both realized there was no way out of this now. "You...you mean..." Wyatt began, before trailing off, the words too painful to voice aloud.

"Yes, these are the weapons that were used to kill your two friends." Bob said, his tone serious, but devoid of the joy Wyatt had been expecting. "And they both contain your finger prints. So it would seem that you are guilty of the crimes."

"No." Wyatt said. "That can't be true. I didn't kill them, I swear."

"I'm sorry son, but the evidence doesn't lie." Bob said. "Wyatt Williams, you are under arrest for the murders of Marlowe Welling and Troy Kalani."

Wyatt glanced at Anna, his expression pleading, but he could tell from her expression that there was nothing she could do for him. With that he sighed and allowed Bob to lead him from the room towards an uncertain future.

**A/N: And that's chapter 15. Sorry for the long wait. I was on vacation and then I got sick, so I wasn't really in the mood to write. But I'm finally feeling better, so expect things to start picking up again. Anyway, yes Wyatt has been arrested and charged with murder, but the question remains, is he really the killer? I know you're hoping he isn't, but I won't say either way. You'll just have to keep reading to find out, though it will be awhile before the truth is revealed. Until then, enjoy the ride and keep trying to figure the mystery out. **


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